All's Well That Ends Well
by zozo42
Summary: Set after the events in season 7. Kind of AU, everythings the same except Rory didnt go on the Obama trail and Logan didn't leave HPG. Rory and Logan getting back together. I'm a sucky summariser it's your classic rogan story with everyone else thrown in.
1. Chapter 1: Fortune Cookies

Rory Gilmore got up and went out into the common room of her hotel room. She stretched, reaching her arms up above her head. With a yawn, she turned around but jumped as she saw a ginger cat sitting on the balcony outside. She looked around the room furiously for her cell phone. Finding it in her jacket pocket, she pulled it out and pressed the speed dial number for her mother.

"Hello?" Lorelai answered.

"Mommy, they know about me!" Rory whined.

"They know about you? Oh my God. Wait, who knows about you?" Lorelai asked.

"The cats! They know about me not having a guy," Rory replied, looking out of the window at the grey tabby that had joined the original ginger cat sitting on her balcony.

"Oh God, they have you too? They must know I have Luke so they've moved onto the next Gilmore girl!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Not funny mom! Now there's another one," Rory said as another cat jumped off the branch of the tree next to her balcony.

"Hon, it's okay. They'll leave soon. You don't really think you're going to become an old cat lady do you? You're only twenty-two."

"Yeah and I've already rejected a marriage proposal. Mom, what if he was the one?" Rory asked, tears springing to her eyes at the thought of Logan.

"Rory, honey, if he was the one he'll be back. If he's the one, neither of you will be able to escape each other. Look at me and Luke; three tries and many years in the making but we're together now. Trust me when I say, if he was the one, he'll be back," Lorelai said, wishing she was with her daughter to comfort her.

"So you're happy now, mom? With Luke, I mean. You're both happy?" Rory asked, changing the subject.

Lorelai smiled at the man inside the diner as she walked past and he smiled back. "Yeah hon, I am and so is he I think. We're good and this time I think it's for real."

"I'm glad mom. I missed him while he was gone," Rory said.

"Yeah, me too," Lorelai replied. "Well, I have to get to the inn. I love you, sweets."

"Love you too mom, I'll talk to you later," Rory said. She snapped her phone shut and stepped onto the balcony. "Shoo, shoo!" The cats on the balcony reluctantly moved and climbed back down the tree. Rory settled into the chair on the balcony and watched the city of London go rushing by.

Back in Hartford, Logan Huntzberger and a leggy blonde were almost horizontal on the couch in his apartment. His fingers grabbed for the tie on her halter neck top, pulling the strings slightly as she reached for the buttons on his dress shirt. She made quick work of half the buttons on his shirt before he pulled back, sitting at the opposite end of the couch.

"What am I doing?" he asked himself out loud.

"Uh, well we were about to do i something/i " the blonde replied. Logan looked at her as if it was the first time he was seeing her.

"You aren't her," he stated.

"Who?"

"Ace," he said quietly, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"The reporter?" the blonde asked.

"Yeah…wait, how do you know about her?" Logan asked.

"Logan, everyone knows about her. She rejected your proposal and the word is you were pretty cut up about it. I just thought you'd be ready to move on, but I guess not. Darn, my friends were right. They had a bet that I wouldn't be able to get you to sleep with me," the blonde said.

"It was just a bet?" Logan asked angrily.

"No, it wasn't i just /i a bet. Everyone wants to sleep with the infamous Logan Huntzberger. We were all pretty disappointed when she took you off the market. Then, you guys split up and we all thought we had a chance again, but you aren't the playboy you were in college."

"No, I'm not," he stated. His anger was bubbling just beneath the surface of his breaking point per usual these days. "Now get out."

"Oh come on Logan," she stood up and walked closer to him, running her hands up his torso. He pushed her hands away.

"Leave," he said, guiding her to the front door. She slipped her hand inside of his shirt, running her fingers over his bare chest.

"Please Logan," she moaned, kissing him hard. He pulled away.

"No, you're not her." His head drooped and he sighed. She took one last chance and started undoing his belt. His hands reached out and seized her wrists in an iron grip.

"Get out!" He growled and opened the door, pushing her through before slamming the door in her face. He waled over to the drink car, poured himself a glass of scotch and sat down moodily on the couch.

The doors to the elevator opened for Finn and Colin to see a scantily clad, disgruntled blonde woman retying the string of her halter top as Logan's apartment door slammed shut in her face. The girl turned on her heel and stalked down the hallway. They exited the elevator with a drunken Finn leaning on Colin to remain upright. Finn had convinced Colin to stay at the pub a little longer before going back to Logan's apartment to drink so Logan would have a lovely hangover to remind him of them on the plane to Los Angeles the next day.

"Well don't you look nice, love," Finn slurred as she walked past. She glared at him in return.

"Sorry about him, he's had a bit too much to drink," Colin apologized. The girl ignored him and went into the elevator, jabbing a button as the doors shut.

"Did that lovely, but slightly pissed, specimen come out of Logan's apartment?" Finn asked, disbelief written on his face. Colin nodded. "Our Logan must be off his game then."

Colin knocked on Logan's door, still helping Finn stand up straight. "It's open," was Logan's slightly muffled reply through the door. Colin opened the door and helped Finn through.

"Don't want to give me a hand or anything do you?" he asked his blonde friend. Logan stood up and turned around. His blonde hair was still messed up, the buttons on his shirt were still half undone, and his glass of scotch was still in his hand.

"You look like hell man," Colin said, eyeing his friend's appearance. Logan sat back down on the couch and took a sip of his drink. Colin helped Finn onto the couch next to Logan and Finn moaned as Colin prodded him.

"Bloody hell Colin, what is it?" Colin pointed at Logan, who was staring off into space, seemingly unaware of his two best friends. Finn blinked and struggled to function under the large amount of alcohol that was coursing through his system.

"Logan, mate, the girl, where is she? You know, the one you brought home from the pub."

"Gone," Logan replied.

"She was the one in the hallway," Colin whispered to Finn.

"Why did she look so unhappy Logan? Was she not in here getting satisfied?" Finn asked.

"I kicked her out."

"Why in the sodding hell did you do that?" Logan drained the last of his scotch and got up to refill his glass.

"She wasn't her." Finn looked at Colin.

"Wasn't who?" Colin asked as Logan returned to the couch.

"Ace." Logan took a large drink from his refilled glass.

"Reporter girl?"

"Yeah, her."

"Logan, that was months ago."

"Four months, two weeks, and three days ago," Logan said, taking another drink of his scotch.

"Man, he's gone," Finn remarked, earning a glare from Colin.

"I was going to marry her. I knew it the day we stopped being casual. The day I became her boyfriend I knew I was going to marry her," Logan said.

"That was almost two years ago thought. How did you know you were going to marry her? There are plenty of other fish in the sea," Colin said.

"But who wants to go out with a fish?" Finn muttered under his breath, his eyes closed. Colin glared at him once more. Logan needed their help and Finn wasn't helping.

"But none like her." Logan sighed and downed the rest of his scotch. "She was the one."

"If you love her, let it go. If it was meant to be, it'll come back to you. If she was the one, she'll be back mate," Finn said, surprising both Logan and Colin with his wisdom. Both of them looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"What? I like fortune cookies."


	2. Chapter 2: No More Cats

**Chapter 2: No More Cats**

Rory looked at the phone book in her cell phone. Her finger hovered over the call button, his name on the screen. She could hear the rain drumming against the windows; it made her more depressed than normal. That may also have been because of the half full martini glass beside her. She didn't know why but she did it. She pressed the call button on her phone and held it to her ear. The phone started ringing.

Logan looked down at the caller ID on his cell phone. It was flashing a number he knew by heart even though he had deleted her entry from his phone.

"Rory?" he asked answering the phone hesitantly.

"I'm in London," she stated.

"You're where?" he asked, confusion lining his voice.

"London," she replied. "It rains a lot here."

"Yeah, I know," he said.

"Of course you know, you lived here for a year, I remember," she said. She remembered the long months they had spent apart, and the short fleeting reunions they had had not often enough.

"Why are you in London, Ace?" he used his nickname for her. It sent shivers down her spine. Hearing his voice say that word, no one else could make her feel the way he did, all with one simple word.

"My grandparents paid for me to come here for a few weeks. They're trying to get on my good side," she explained, taking another sip from her glass. "I think mom told them I'm sad or depressed or something. They must've thought a nice holiday in London would have brightened me up."

"Have they ever been to London during winter?" he asked sceptically.

"I doubt it," she replied, surprised at how easily the conversation was flowing between them. She'd expected him to still be mad after what happened at her graduation, when she'd rejected his proposal. "The museums are nice though, and libraries of course."

Logan remained silent, unsure of what to say. This phone call was so out of the blue. He'd left her without a word after she'd said she didn't want to marry him. Why had she called him now? "I'm in L.A. Dad sent me here to look at a newspaper and magazine. It's nice and sunny here." he said trying to break the silence.

All Rory did was take a big gulp of her drink as the conversation lapsed back into silence. She swallowed, rather loudly actually, well that's what Logan thought anyway.

"Rory are you drinking?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, I guess," Rory said." I have been for a while, don't feel drunk though, not even a bit tipsy."

"What are you drinking?" he asked her concerned.

"Vodka martini," she replied, taking another sip.

"Vodka martini? Where the hell did you get Vodka from?" Logan was confused. Rory had never been much of a drinker, maybe he and his friends had been a bad influence on her.

"Your place; when I was packing up my stuff I found a bottle in the back of your cupboard. I wondered why it wasn't out with everything else, I figured it was cause you all ready had some out there. Thinking that you'd miss it seeing as its alcohol, I took it to annoy you." Rory told him, wincing as she remembered the events from before she'd moved out of Logan's apartment.

Logan started laughing. "That's not Vodka, its water."

"What?"

"Colin and I tried to trick Finn one year and gave him a bottle of Vodka with water in it for Christmas; we figured he'd already be too drunk to tell the difference. He wasn't. He knew it wasn't Vodka." Logan explained.

"Well of course he did, he would've known as soon as he opened the bottle," Rory said.

"Yeah he did actually; took one whiff and looked at us like we were crazy. Made us drink nothing but Vodka all night, and Steph and Rosemary too because they were in on it. It was ok for the girls though, they could have Vodka martinis and the like but Colin and I were stuck drinking it strait because martinis are too girly for us."

"You and your ego Huntz…" Rory said with a laugh. He'd missed her laugh, it was so sweet. God why hadn't she just said yes? No, why had he even asked her in the first place? It was too soon. She had her whole life, her whole career ahead of her. She couldn't marry him right after college; she needed to live her life. And now she was without him.

"Logan?" Rory asked, and he realized he had zoned out and hadn't heard a word she'd said.

"Sorry what did you say?" he tuned back into their conversation pushing the depressing thoughts and memories to the back of his mind.

"Never mind, I better go its late." she said yawning.

"Ok, bye Ace."

"Bye Logan."

"Wait," he said before she hung up, "why did you call me?"

"I missed you Logan," she said simply, ending the call. She exhaled and flopped back on her pillows with a sigh, picking up her glass and taking a drink, only now tasting the difference. Ace. His words echoed in her brain. He'd called her Ace. She'd missed him calling her that. His voice. She'd missed his voice so much. To put it simply, she'd missed him. It hadn't been right since he'd left. She rolled over flicked off the lamp beside her before she snuggled down under the covers and fell asleep.

Logan rolled over in his hotel room in Los Angeles, looking at the digital clock beside him. It read 1:13 A.M; two and a half hours since Rory had called. He still didn't know why she had. She'd said she'd missed him but how could she say that? He'd proposed and she'd said no, so how and why did she now miss him. He didn't understand and it was what was keeping him awake. It reminded him of when he'd been in college, when he couldn't sleep without knowing if she was ok, and not mad at him. It'd kept him awake many a night, especially at the start of their relationship when their banter had often ended in hateful words. He reached out for his cell phone, the bright light temporarily blinding him. When his eyes had adjusted he opened up a blank text message and started typing, his fingers moving furiously.

Rory's cell phone went off with a loud jingle of bells. She woke up immediately and reached out blindly for her phone. She opened it and immediately shut her eyes. The bright light hurt them. When her eyes had adjusted, she realized she'd received a text from Logan.

**To:** Rory

**From:** Logan

_Why did you call me, really? You can't say you miss me, it's not fair. I asked you to marry me, MARRY ME, and you said no. You broke up with me Rory, how can you call me out of the blue and tell me you miss me? It's not god damn fair!_

She struggled to understand what he was talking about. Instead of replying through text she decided she should call him instead; it was much easier in her current state.

"What the hell Logan?" she asked when he picked up.

"What did you expect Rory?"

"Not this, not after we had a perfectly normal conversation before!"

"That was just my upbringing Rory, I was being polite. I didn't expect a call from you. I was in shock and I just did it all automatically."

"And I didn't break up with you Logan! You're the one that left!"

"You rejected me Rory, I proposed to you!"

"I know Logan, I was there!" she snapped.

"Saying 'no' means the end of a relationship," he replied sharply.

"No, 'no' means I won't marry you yet, it doesn't mean I want you out of my life. What did you expect Logan? I had my whole life ahead of me; I'd just graduated from college! There are so many things I want to do!" she shouted

"And you can't do them when you're with me?"

"With you yes. Married to you, no, I can't. I'd have to become Mrs. Logan Huntzberger, planning parties, going to the DAR and getting my nails done while I interview nannies for the kids! That is not who I want to be Logan! I want to travel the world, have a career, and look after my own kids, not hire someone to do that for me. I don't want to plan parties or waste time shopping or just hanging with the girls. I don't want to become your trophy wife. And I do not want to be your mother! Or my grandmother!" she screamed at him.

"I don't want you to be my mother either, I hate her life and I know you do too. I wouldn't let that happen to you Rory. I know how much being a journalist means to you, why can't you trust that I wouldn't have let that happen!" he yelled back at her.

"Because it's out of your control Logan, we're not in college anymore! You can't just fly away on your family's jet when life doesn't go the way you wanted; you can't get yourself drunk to avoid reality anymore!"

"It may be out of my control but it's not out of your's Rory, it's your life."

"And I made the decision I needed to at the time. I wasn't ready Logan."

"Is that why you said no?" he asked her, his voice suddenly quiet.

"Partly," she replied quietly.

"So it's not because you didn't love me? And didn't want to spend your life with me?"

"No that's not why; I did love you Logan, I still do." She heard his intake of breath and paused unsure of how to go on. "I think it's was also partly because of my mom."

"Your mom? But she said yes, I asked her, she approved." Logan said confused.

"Not like that. Because I'm her daughter, I shouldn't be married before her. I felt like I didn't deserve it, to be happily married and be Mrs. Huntzberger when she wasn't happy or married or even with Luke anymore. It sounds stupid but I think that's why, I just wanted to wait."

"Ok." Logan said. "I kind of get that, any other reason?"

"I was scared."

"Of what?"

"That everything I'd worked for, my dreams, would just disappear and I'd just be your wife, organizing parties, shopping with the girls and working for the DAR."

"Rory, I would never have let that happen. That's not who you are and I wouldn't love you if you were," Logan said to her.

"But it's what your parents wanted. It's what people expected."

"Screw my parents and screw other people's expectations! What matters the most is what you want. Besides wouldn't what I have wanted meant more to you then what my parents wanted for you? I wanted you to be a journalist and chase your dreams; you're talented Rory and you deserve to get everything you've ever dreamt of because you have worked so hard for it."

"I just didn't want to be like any of the DAR women. I want to be like my mother; successful, hard working, and a wonderful person. She's always there for me Logan. Whenever I need her, no matter what, she's by my side."

Logan sighed. "What are we going to do? I don't know if we can be together but I do know I can't stand us being apart."

"Can we just go back to being friends?" Rory asked, even though it wasn't what she really wanted.

"When were we ever friends Ace?" he asked with a dry laugh.

She smiled. "Good point. How about we try being friends then?"

"I'm always up for a challenge."

"Me too," she yawned.

"Get to sleep Ace, sorry I woke you."

"Sweet dreams Logan." she replied hanging up.

Logan put his phone on his bedside table and lay awake staring up at the ceiling. Could they do it? Could they be just friends? He didn't know if he could stand spending time with her but not being with her. He let out a chuckle into the silent room as he realized the tables had been turned. She was the true Master and Commander. In college she had been the one that couldn't be without him, now he wanted her more then anything in the world. He needed her with him. But he could never tell her, not any time soon anyway, because it was better that she was in his life as his friend than not at all. And he was afraid she would be back out of his life again if he ever told her how much he wanted her. It was too soon. He couldn't tell her, not now anyway. But she said she still loved him. His heart filled with hope and he opened up his phone again, sending her a simple message.

The next morning, Rory woke up to her phone vibrating loudly against the wood of her bed side table. She reached for it groggily. After her late night conversation with Logan, she had put her phone on silent so it wouldn't wake her up again until morning.

"Hello?" she mumbled.

"Are they gone?"

"Mom?"

"Yes it's me. Now, are they gone?"

"Is who gone?" Rory asked, blinking the sleep from her eyes.

"The cats!" Lorelai stated, as if the answer was obvious.

"Uh dunno, I'll check." Rory stumbled out of her room and out onto the balcony. "Cat free," she told her mother with a smile even though Lorelai couldn't see her.

"See I knew you weren't going to be an old cat lady at 22!"

"Yeah mom about that, I talked to Logan last night."

"Really? Why did he call? Oh, do tell."

"He didn't call. I did."

Lorelai gasped. "Oh my God Rory, what happened? What did he say?"

"Well I called him and we had a perfectly normal conversation, about the weather of all things. A Finn anecdote arose in there but it was totally normal, not awkward or anything. Then a few hours later I get an angry text message about how it's not fair that I called and said I missed him because I rejected his proposal. So we kind of fought for a bit and then he asked me if I said no because I hadn't loved him and I told him I hadn't because I didn't love, I still do. Then he asked me why and I said because I was scared and because I felt a bit guilty getting married before you, and because I didn't want to become like Shira or Grandma," Rory told her.

"Rory, what do you mean you said no because you felt guilty getting married before me?" Lorelai asked.

"Well you were sad after you and Luke broke up so I didn't want to be all happy and giddy and engaged and planning my wedding when you and Luke weren't engaged or even together anymore."

Lorelai sighed. "Oh honey, I just want you to be happy, no matter how much disarray _my_ love life is in."

"I know mom, but that's just how I felt."

"Ok then. What did you mean about not wanting to become like Shira or Grandma?"

Rory settled down on the couch in her hotel room, knowing she was in for a long conversation. "I don't want to be a trophy wife, Rory Huntzberger, party planner and nanny hirer extraordinaire. I want to travel, have a career, and look after my own kids, like you did with me."

"Well first of all you wouldn't have been Rory Huntzberger."

"Mom, I was going to marry him."

"Yes I know, but you would have been Lorelai Leigh 'Rory' Hayden Gilmore Huntzberger. That's all of your names in one!" Lorelai said excitedly.

Rory repeated the long name. "Man that's a mouthful! My name would not be that."

"Of course that's what it would be; it's perfect for you my darling daughter."

"Mom…"

"Ok, maybe we could take out the Hayden part. He is only your father after all."

"Mom!"

"Ok, ok, ok. You could be Rory Gilmore Huntzberger."

"I can't be a Gilmore and a Huntzberger publicly," Rory said seriously.

"Why not? You'd get anything you ever wanted and anything mommy ever wanted too."

"I could get anything I wanted just being a Huntzberger," Rory said pointedly.

"Oh my God," Lorelai gasped. "You want to be a Huntzberger! You want to marry

Logan, you so do." Rory knew that if her mother was there her finger would be pointing straight at her daughter, a grin on her face.

"No I don't!"

"You do so! You want to marry Logan! Well I hate to tell ya hon, but you're a little late. You're going to have to work for it now. But at least you're speaking to him again."

"Yeah we're going to try being friends. Not sure how the friends thing will work with us, without benefits anyway; or how we'll go when we see each other again. I haven't seen him since graduation. Will he look different? I hope he hasn't done anything to his hair!" Rory exclaimed worriedly.

"I'm sure his hair's fine. So what plane are you catching tomorrow?"

"Not sure."

"Who are you and what have you done to my daughter? My daughter, Miss Organization, doesn't know what time she's leaving to come and see her own mother!"

"I know what time I'm getting to Hartford though," Rory said ignoring her mothers rambling. I'll be there at 6, without delays anyway."

"I shalt await you oh daughter of mine."

"Mom, when did you ever do Shakespeare?"

"I got bored while you were away."

"You read Shakespeare?"

"No. I watched the movie stupid; Romeo and Juliet. Leonardo DiCaprio's a bit of a hunk don't you think?"

"Mom, you're engaged! You can't go around checking out other guys!"

"Sure I can, if they're in movies. Besides, Luke can't hear me. He's busy doing…something."

"Are you in the diner? On the phone!" Rory asked in disbelief.

"As a matter of fact-" Lorelai began before she was cut off by a gruff voice on her end.

"Lorelai, off the phone!" Luke barked as he came in from the store room.

"But it's Rory Luke, Rory. Rory do the Bambi eyes honey."

"Hi Rory," Luke said grabbing the phone Lorelai was holding out to him.

"Hi Luke. Are you going to tell her that I can't do the Bambi eyes through the phone? Or should I?"

"Let's not spoil her day," he replied with a laugh. "Well Rory I'll give you back to your mom. She has 2 minutes to wrap this up or get out side."

Luke handed the phone back to his fiancée. "So what were you saying about being in the diner on the phone?" Rory asked her mother.

"Nothing," Lorelai said, "Well I better go, or Luke will throw me out on the street. Bye sweets."

Rory pulled her phone away from her ear. She was about to close it when she noticed she had received a message from Logan. The time it was sent was a few minutes after they had ended their conversation the night before. Wondering what the hell he wanted now, she opened it with a sigh.

**To:** Rory

**From:** Logan

_By the way Ace, I love you too._

It was as simple as that and it made her heart flutter. Hope filled her, and she had a shower and got ready with a smile on her face.


	3. Chapter 3: Snookums

**Chapter 3: Snookums**

When Rory got off the plane at Hartford Airport, Lorelai was waiting for her. "Hey kiddo!" Lorelai said pulling her daughter into a hug. "How've you been?"

"I just spoke to you this morning," Rory said, walking with her mother to the baggage claim.

"Well, I thought something might've happened since then."

Rory smiled, "Nothing happened _after _your call," she said mysteriously.

"So you're saying something happened?"

"Yes."

"Before my call?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me about it during my call?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I didn't discover it until after your call."

"Well then it happened after my call didn't it?"

"No. Technically it _happened_ before your call but I _discovered _it after your call."

"But you were aware of it _after_ my call therefore it counts as happening after my call."

"May-hey that's my bag!" Rory started to run towards her bag that was just about to disappear through the black curtain.

Lorelai grabber her arm, holding her back. "It'll come around again. Now tell me what this _thing_ is that happened."

"Ok, I got a message from Logan. Sent last night, so technically before your call but I didn't notice it until I went to hang up."

"Well," Lorelais said, "What did it say?"

"It said," Rory dug into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Flipping it open she found the message from Logan. "By the way Ace, I love you too."

"What's with that?" Lorelai asked, grabbing Rory's bag as it came around again.

"What's with what?" Rory asked, getting her bag from Lorelai as they walked out to the car.

"Ace, why does he call you Ace?" Lorelai asked. "Does anyone else call you by a nickname?"

"Mom, everyone calls me by my nickname. My real name's Lorelai, remember? But no, only he calls me Ace...I don't know why actually."

"It's cute," Lorelai commented as they headed towards Stars Hollow.

"What is?"

"That he calls you Ace, that you have pet names for each other."

"We don't have pet names for each other. Ace is not a pet name. It's a nickname. A pet name is snookums, or diddles, or something."

"I'm so calling you snookums from now on."

"Mom!"

Lorelai and Rory walked into the diner and Luke looked up as the door jangled open. "Rory!" he exclaimed coming over to give her a brief hug.

"It's snookums," Lorelai said in a stage whisper.

Luke and Rory ignored her. "Hi Luke," Rory replied returning the hug and giving Lorelai a strange look. Luke wasn't exactly known for his hugging. He barely hugged Lorelai in public and they were engaged.

"You hug your step-daughter-to-be, but not your wife-to-be? I'm appalled," Lorelai said taking off her jacket. Luke stepped forward giving her a quick peck on the lips. "Much better," Lorelai commented, as Luke blushed and went around to the other side of the counter.

"How was London?" Luke asked, getting two cups out and pouring them coffee.

"It was wet, cold, and depressing." Rory replied as she and Lorelai sat down at the counter.

"Oh, so a typical winter in London," he said with a smile. "Coffee's on the house, it's good that you're back."

"Yeah it is. I've missed this crazy town," she said, taking a sip of her coffee and looking outside to the square. Kirk was helping Taylor hang the Bid-a-Basket banner.

"Do I really have to go to that?" Luke asked Lorelai, pointing at the banner Kirk was holding.

"Yes! Of course you do. You're my fiancé and this year I am making my basket so I can have a romantic lunch with my guy, not because I need the window sills painted," Lorelai said.

"What about you Rory, are you making a basket for this ridiculous festival?" Luke asked.

"Well yeah, if mom isn't using _her _feminine wiles to get the window sills painted, then I guess I'll have to use mine."

"That's my girl," Lorelai said grinning at Luke.

Rory stared out the diner window contemplating what would happen next with her and Logan. As far as she knew he was still on the West Coast. _You know what? _she thought to herself. _This time he can call me._

That night Logan was sitting staring at the cursor on his blank lap top screen, trying to work but all he could think about was a certain blue-eyed brunette. _Should I call her? Or will she call me? She called me last time, maybe I should call her. _He reached for his phone just as it began ringing; he flipped it open without even checking the caller ID.

"Rory?" he said into the phone.

"No, it's me," Honor said, "Why would Rory be calling? You guys, like, broke up ages ago. Are you back together?" She continued without waiting for a reply. "I'm so glad; you two are perfect for each other."

Logan sighed. "No Honor, we're not back together."

"Well, then, why did you think she was calling?"

"She called me last night and we talked."

"Oh, you guys are _getting_ back together! Logan, I'm so happy for you!"

"There was no talk of getting back together. We're just going to try being friends."

"Logan, you aren't _just_ friends with girls, except Stephanie but she's Colin's so guy loyalty goes first. How are you going to be _just_ friends with Rory?"

_With much difficulty _he thought but instead he said, "It's Rory. I hadn't ever had a girlfriend before her, so I can have her as my first not off limits friend."

"Uh huh," Honour said, hoping they would both look around and see that they need each other and do something about it.

"So…" he said after a few seconds silence. "Do you think I should call her?"

"Yes! What are you waiting for?"

"Nothing; ok, well, bye then."

"Bye." He hung up the phone and typed in Rory's number. "Hey Ace," he said when she answered.

"Hi, I was wondering when you'd call," she said, sitting up on her bed, her book now lying ignored on her pillow.

"You could have called me, you know."

"I called you last night, twice."

"Well do you want me to hang up now and call you back again?"

"No, no I'm good. I'm glad you called because I want to ask you something."

"Ask away," he said, wondering what she wanted to ask.

"First off, when are you getting back from L.A?"

"I catch a 10 'o' clock flight back to Hartford tomorrow night, so I'll be back around 1 in the morning."

"Oh, ouch. Well, you'll be back by Saturday?"

"Yes, because tomorrow is Wednesday," he said in a voice often used on small children.

"Shut up, now to the question. You know my crazy town? Anyway they're holding this festival on Saturday where all the women make a picnic lunch and put it in a basket and the guys bid on it, and the guy that bought the girls basket has lunch with said girl. It's kind of sexist but it's a nice idea. Whoever gets me or Mom doesn't normally eat what's in our basket cause its generally week old left overs but this year mom and I were planning on ordering Chinese the night before so the basket will be full of day old Chinese and that's edible."

"That wasn't a question Ace," Logan said after she stopped.

"I know that, I was just setting the scene."

"Consider it set."

"Ok question is: do you want to come? I promise I'll keep you away from Miss Patty and won't make you paint the windowsills because I think Luke will do that anyway."

"Uh thanks about Miss Patty, and I'm ignoring the windowsills comment." Logan paused. He'd just been stalling because he didn't know what to say to her. Was it too soon for them to see each other? "But…I don't know.

"It's not expensive or anything. Trust me, the most expensive basket ever was, um mine actually a few years ago, but that's because two guys were fighting over me. Anyway, the point is this year that won't happen and the most expensive basket will be Sookie's but Jackson will buy that."

"It's not the money Rory, you know that, it's just…I'm really busy at work."

"Oh, ok," Rory said, a little disappointed.

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. I better go. Mom and I are planning on having a massive movie night," she said.

"Bye Ace."

She hung up and went into the lounge room. She sat down on the couch next to Lorelai. "Mom, movies now?"

"Hon, what's wrong?"

"I invited Logan to the Bid-a-Basket Festival. He said he couldn't come because he was busy at work. Maybe it was the wrong Stars Hollow event to invite him too. It's too romantic and boyfriend/girlfriendy. I should have invited him to the Halloween one, or the Winter Carnival or the Festival of Living Art, something you can go to as friends."

"Honey, he loves you remember. He doesn't want to be friends."

"Well, he said he wants to be friends."

"I haven't spoken to him but I know that he wants more, and so do you. Saying 'I love you' trumps saying you just want to be friends."

"Well, if he wants more then why didn't he say he'd come."

"Maybe he's scared."

"Of Stars Hollow? It's not like he hasn't been her before."

"Not of Stars Hollow, of you." Rory opened her mouth to argue but Lorelai continued, "Not _of_ you but of seeing you. The last time he saw you you rejected his marriage proposal. That's got to have bruised his ego pretty bad."

"Yeah, but we're not in a relationship. We're just going to be friends so it's not the same type of thing."

"But hon, you _want_ to be in a relationship. And being together again...it'll show you'll feel it. Maybe he doesn't want to run the risk of seeing you too soon and it ruining your new friendship and that resulting to you not being in his life anymore. He gets brownie points for wanting to keep you in his life."

"Ok, I kind of understand you're crazy logic and that's disturbing on so many levels, but if we don't see each other now because it's too soon when will it not be too soon? How will we know when the 'too soon' period is over and its 'soon enough'?"

"I don't know kid. When he asks you and you don't hesitate or when you ask him and he doesn't hesitate. You guys will know when you know."

"I hate it when there's no time frame. I like knowing exactly when something is going to happen."

"I know you do kid, but life isn't always like that. Now what should we watch?" Lorelai asked changing the subject before Rory could get even more depressed. Apparently it was already too late.

Rory went over to the DVD cupboard and pulled out three movies. "_Sleepless in Seattle, An Officer and a Gentleman, _and _Casablanca_," she said, holding the movies up for her mother.

"Oh, we're already in wallow mode, huh?" Lorelai asked as Rory put the first movie in the player and settled down on the couch.

"Shhh," Rory scolded. "No talking during movie night!"


	4. Chapter 4: Safe Sex

**Chapter 4: Safe Sex**

**AN: This is not an M rated chapter despite the title. Hope you like it, it was supposed to have more in it but it got way too long so I decided to leave it here. Sorry for people that don't like heaps of dialogue, it will get less talky. This is just Logan and Rory realising what everybody else already knows. R&R PLEASE!!!**

Logan rolled over and reached out for his ringing cell phone, "Who ever you are I hate you," he said groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Logan is that anyway to answer your phone?" Mitchum scolded his son.

"Dad, woah, hi, sorry, you woke me up."

"What if it had been a business call? You'll lose a lot of business answering your phone that way." Mitchum told him.

"I don't always answer my phone like that, I thought it was Colin, or Finn, or Honour or Ro-" he almost said her name but decided against it. Mitchum didn't need to know she was back in his life. "-bert. Besides how many people would call me on business at," he rolled over and looked at his clock, "3 in the morning?"

"Well it's 7 p.m. in Singapore, 11 in the morning in London and midday in Paris," Mitchum said pointedly. "It's also only 9 p.m. in most of Australia."

Logan groaned, "People in different countries, and time zones, are normally more considerate of the time difference. They would organize it with me, or they'd understand my greeting because I'm sure they wouldn't be happy being woken up in the early hours of the morning either," Logan said as he settled down on his couch to listen to his father.

"It might be important and can't wait for the set time," Mitchum argued. "It's a competitive market Logan. People won't be as considerate and understanding as you think. They'll leave your business for someone that won't answer his phone with hate. You have to at least pretend you like them; it's like society son, 3 part acting 1 part brain."

"Sorry dad, now was there a point to you waking me up?"

"Yes, you're flying back in to Hartford tomorrow night, yes?"

"Yeah I'll be there at 1."

"Perfect. I booked you a 6 a.m. flight to London; I need you to go check up on the paper you were working on there."

"Dad!" he groaned, "I've been in L.A. for 5 days, basically spent the whole time in a car or at the office, and now you're sending me to London? Why can't you go? Why can't I leave in a few days? I'm tired and all I want to do is sleep. By the time I get to London I will have the biggest jet lag you've ever seen. I get 6 hours of sleep a night tops, even less tonight thanks to you. I can't do it Dad."

"Logan," Mitchum replied warningly. "You can do it and you will. Think positive son."

"My mind set will not allow my body to do the impossible!"

"You say you'll have jet lag? Sleep on the plane, that's what they're there for."

"I can't sleep on the plane dad, you know that. Besides, no flight in the world is long enough for me to be able to catch up."

"Well I don't know what to say Logan except you're going to have to figure something out, because you are going whether you like it or not."

Logan sighed, "How about I take the first day off to catch up on some sleep then stay an extra day?" he asked.

"If you would prefer to stay an extra day…"

"I'd prefer to stay an extra day then collapse in the office, yes."

"Fine. Good bye Logan, I'll leave the flight changes to you and the tickets will be waiting with Frank at Hartford," Mitchum said before he abruptly hung up and all Logan could hear was the dial tone.

Logan groaned as he flopped back into the pillows of the couch. He flipped his phone open and called Colin. It went straight to voice mail. "Hi I need you to be at Hartford airport tonight at 1 am. I know it's late I'm sorry I just need to see you. Bring Finn. Call me later, bye," He said before he shut his phone and staggered back into his room, collapsing onto his bed and falling asleep almost straight away.

When Rory woke up on Wednesday morning she still felt pretty crappy about the whole Logan situation, but she figured that lots of coffee and a walk around Stars Hollow, including visiting Lane and lunch with Lorelai, was just what the doctor ordered. She showered and changed and headed to Luke's for her fourth and final cup of coffee for the morning.

"Hi Luke," she greeted when she walked in, "Coffee to go please, and a muffin too, thanks."

"Sure thing Rory just give me a minute. I'm taking Kirk upstairs to measure my apartment. I'm going to be moving in with your mom permanently soon and he wants to live in my apartment," he explained to her as he led Kirk up the stairs.

"Good luck Kirk! I hope it's the place for you," Rory called after them.

"Rory! It's so nice to see you sweetheart," said Miss Patty as she and Babette walked in and settled down at a table. "How was London?"

"Yeah sugar, how was London?"

"Oh good, yeah it was good. A bit dreary though, rains a lot."

"Yeah that's what it's like there. Did I tell you about the time when me and Morey went to see Big Ben? Rained and rained and rained for DAYS! We didn't leave our hotel room, Morey and I didn't. Not that I really minded if you know what I mean," Babette said with a wink causing Miss Patty to chuckle.

"Did you meet any gorgeous men while you were there Rory, dear?" Miss Patty asked slyly.

"No, no men at all," Rory replied.

"What about that darling blonde boy you had a few months ago?"

"Oh yeah him, he was a lil' somethin' somethin' wasn't he Patty?"

"Logan?" Rory stammered. She felt as if an icy wind had blown through her. "No, haven't spoken to him in ages, months."

"Oh, well that's too bad honey; he was a good one, that one. Reminded me of my third husband."

"Yeah, he was a good one," Rory said with a sigh as Luke and Kirk came down the stairs in the middle of an argument.

"No Kirk, I will not reconstruct the wall I knocked down when Jess was here to create another room for your kids!"

"Oh Kirky you and Lulu are going to have a baby?" Miss Patty asked and Rory sighed in relief, glad the attention was turned away from her.

Kirk shook his head, "Well we haven't actually tried yet, and we're still using condoms when we have sex 4 or 5 times a week."

Luke groaned. "What about you Luke, are you still being safe when you have sex with Lorelai?"

"Kirk!"

"What? It's a serious question if there's another little Lorelai running around, the town will be out of coffee before you can say, 'Stars Hollows ran out of coffee because Lorelai had another coffee crazed kid which is a direct result of Luke not using a condom'."

"You can do a lot of things by the time you say that," Luke pointed out.

"I am not coffee crazed!" Rory defended.

"How many cups have you had today?" Kirk asked.

"Three," she admitted.

"I rest my case. Luke you better practicing safe sex. I don't know if the town can handle another Gilmore offspring."

"Kirk, get out of my diner!" Luke yelled, "Now!"

"I'll call you about the rent," Kirk said as he ran out of the diner.

Rory laughed at Luke's red face, "All you need is steam to come out of your ears and you could be a really angry cartoon!"

"Here's your coffee and muffin," Luke said handing them to her.

"Thanks Luke," Rory said sweetly, leaving the money on the counter. She walked out of the diner and across the square to Lane's house.

"Rory!" Lane exclaimed when Zach opened the door to reveal the petite brunette. "Band practice is over or postponed or something! Look after the twins!" Lane called over her shoulder as she led Rory to her bedroom.

"Ok, so tell me everything new in your life!"

Rory sighed, she didn't want to talk about Logan at the moment but she also wanted Lane's seemingly un-biased advice. "Well…I talked to Logan the other night."

"Logan? As in Logan Huntzberger?"

"The one and only."

"What? Did he call you or come see you? You were in London right; oh did he come see you in London? How romantic!" Lane asked giddily, Rory and Logan were made for each other. Even Lane could see it and she had only actually seen them together a few times. She saw it in Rory eyes every time she spoke about him. Her eyes sparkled and a bright smile lit up her face.

"No we haven't seen each other yet and…I called him."

"Oh my God Rory, tell me! What did he say?"

Rory went on to explain the conversation all up to the part of the second text message.

"And then he sent me a message saying that he loved me too."

"Oh that is so romantic. When are you guys going to meet up? Maybe Zach and I could come on a double date with you two? I'm sure Mama Kim would be happy watch the twins."

"Well we're just friends, I told you that. Besides I am so not done yet."

"Oh there's more. Yay!"

And so Rory continued and told Lane about her asking Logan to the Bid-a-Basket Festival and him saying no.

"Maybe he was just scared to ruin the new fragile friendship you guys have," Lane said. "And I'm sure his ego was a little bruised too."

"Woah that is so creepy."

"What?"

"My mom said almost exact the same thing."

"Woah, I had advice the same as Lorelai, I feel honoured. We must be right. I guess you'll just have to wait."

"It really is 'too soon'," Rory said with a sigh. "Well thanks Lane I really appreciate you listening to me about this."

"Rory, it's what I'm here for. Now I want you to promise to keep me up to date and the entire goings on in town as well as your life. You don't often go outside into the real world when you're a mother of twins."

"I promise Lane, and how about I help you out with your two little treasures? I don't have to be anywhere 'till one."

"Thanks, that'd help so much."

Logan's phone went off and he flipped it open without taking his eyes off his laptop screen. "Hi Logan, it's me," his sister's voice greeted him.

"Honour I'm a little busy at the moment," he said distractedly.

"Oh. with Rory?"

"No, not with Rory, with work."

"Why not with Rory?"

"Because I need to do this for work."

"Why aren't you back with Rory already?"

"Lot's of reasons. A, she's a 4 hour plane flight away, B, I have a lot of work to do, and C, we're just friends. Why is that so hard to grasp?" he snapped, sick of Honour's nagging.

"Jeez, fine Mr. Touchy. I'll go and let you get back to your work."

"Thank you," Logan said sarcastically, hanging up.

A short while late Logan's phone rang again, he groaned but this time checked the called ID before answering. It was Colin so he flipped it open.

"Oh, I am so glad its you. There's only one other person I could stand to talk to right now apart from you." He really enjoyed the fact that he, Colin, and Finn were so close that they needn't say proper greetings when seeing each other or answering the phone. They just launched straight into the conversation.

"I'm honoured. By the way we're all set to pick you up tonight at Hartford. Finn is in charge of entertainment so I hope you're ready to get wasted. Now who else is bearable to talk to apart from me? Our favourite Aussie?"

"Apart from you and Finn."

"Honour?"

"Oh God no, I love my sister, but she's just so annoying lately."

"Who then? Robert?"

"Robert? Why would I want to talk to Robert? I hate Robert."

"I don't know. I'm running out of ideas here."

"You really haven't spent much time with me this past year have you, if you don't know who's the closest to me," Logan teased

"Well Finn and I are accepted and you ruled Honour out. Who means as much to you as we do?"

"You tell me," Logan replied.

"Oh my God." Logan smirked as his friend realised who it was.

"You're back with Rory again?" Colin asked excitedly, "Man, I'm so happy for you. You and Reporter Girl are so perfect for each other."

"We're not back together. What is it with everyone assuming that?"

"Well what do you mean you're not back together? I mean you love her and last time I checked she loves you," Colin paused,"Oh buddy, doesn't she return the feelings?"

"No, well yes she does, I think. I don't know," Logan said exasperatedly.

"Ok, explain it all from the beginning. All I've got so far is that you guys are talking again and she maybe loves you back." Logan told him all about the original, out of the blue, phone call and the text messages and the second phone call, and about how she'd explained why she had said no and what she was afraid of and how they'd agreed to be friends.

"And then I sent her a message after that saying that I loved her too."

"It seems to me that Huntzberger plus Gilmore equals drama."

"Oh, I'm not finished yet," Logan said as he continued the story. "She kind of asked me out the other night and I said no. I lied and said I was busy with work, which now is technically true but then it wasn't. But if I had agreed, I would've had to cancel anyway because of Dad sending me to London and she would've thought I didn't want to go out with her, but I do. I think it was a kind of lose-lose situation."

"You spent too much time with that girl, you're rambling."

"It's a Rory side effect, but trust me the good stuff much out weighs the bad stuff."

"Oh that's something I didn't need to know about her. I liked Rory and all her innocence!"

"Aw jeez Colin, I didn't mean that."

"So that part isn't good?"

"No, of course it's good, but that's not what I was talking about. There is more to me and Rory then sex," Logan said irately. "Was," he corrected, "was more to me and Rory."

"And may very well be again," Colin muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"I said 'oh'," Colin lied.

"Well yeah, how else do you think we managed a long distance relationship?" Colin was very tempted to answer him with a smart-ass comment like: 'with a lot of phone sex" but decided against it.

There was a small period of silence which Logan then broke. "Hey Colin, do me a favour will ya? Don't tell Finn. I don't want Rory to think I'm telling everyone and I know you and Honour won't call her and Finn, well there's no saying what he'll say when he's drunk."

"Yeah sure no problem, but you will have to tell him eventually you know. He won't like being kept out of the loop."

"Yeah, I know I will I'll tell him, later…when it's not as new."

Colin nodded even though his friend couldn't see him. "So when did this all occur?"

"Well the first two conversations were late Monday night and early Tuesday morning and she kinda asked me out Tuesday night. She didn't actually ask me out ask me out. She invited me to her town to bid on her basket. Well not bid on _her_ basket in particular but come to her town's Bid-a-Basket Festival."

"To bid on her what? Where? Huh?"

"You heard about Stars Hollow didn't you? Her town has crazy festival things on all the time and she invited me to one."

"Man you are a complete and utter idiot! Why didn't you say yes? You didn't know you were going to be in London. She would've understood your need to cancel but at least she would've known you wanted to spend time with her again after everything."

"I don't know. It was the type of festival I think, it was kind of date-y. Like romantic and I didn't want her to be uncomfortable or send her mixed signals by turning up to the festival after agreeing to be friends."

"Logan, you told the girl you loved her back after she'd already told you that she loves you. If that's not mixed signals, I don't know what is. What's more is that you two were never _just _friends. You gave up being a playboy for that girl! She gave you an ultimatum Logan, and you chose her over being just friends and keeping the girls."

Logan sighed. Colin and Honour were just enforcing what he already knew in his heart. He could not be _just _friends with Rory, and he couldn't be with anyone else. It had to be her. He just hoped she felt the same. This time, if he got knocked down he didn't know if he'd ever get up again.

"We're just friends," Logan said, but even to him it sounded weak and false.


	5. Chapter 5: Rory's Dress

**AN: This chapter is mostly filler nothing exciting really happens, I'm sorry and also I'm going back to school in a few days, year 10…the beginning of the end… so I wont be writing as much, sorry but school calls. I'll try my best. It'll be a few more chapters until Rory and Logan meet up, sorry again. But on the plus side I have that chapter and the two after that already written YAY! I also just lost half of chapter 6 so now I'm all mad at the computer so I wont write very often…sorry(AGAIN)…I'll try to rewrite and have chapter 6 up A.S.A.P!!**

**Chapter 5: Rory's Dress**

Rory was seated at a table in Luke's waiting for her mom. Luke had just finished pouring her second cup of coffee when Lorelai whirled in.

"Hey Burger Boy and Daughter of Mine," she said, kissing them both on the cheek. "Coffee please," she added, smiling up at Luke.

Luke grumbled as he walked away and got another cup. "So kid, how are you?"

"I'm fine mom. How was work at the Inn?" Rory asked.

"Don't change the subject, I know you. Besides I wasn't finished." Rory remained silent and looked at her. "Have you spoken to Logan?"

"Logan?" Luke asked as he returned with a second cup of coffee, "Isn't he-" Lorelai cut him off with a look knowing her daughter was still a little fragile about the blonde haired boy. Luke walked away and Lorelai looked back at Rory.

"No. I'll call him tonight", she said.

"Ok now I need some help Maid of Honour of mine."

Rory giggled slightly at Lorelai's latest nickname for her. "Yes Bride to Be of Luke's."

"Nice one kid. I need you to come with me to the bridal shop in Hartford to get some stuff organized this afternoon, you up for it?"

"Like you even have to ask," Rory said with a fake smile, _I could be shopping for my wedding with Logan, if only I'd said yes… _she thought.

"Rory…" Lorelai looked at her daughter worriedly, "Kid, you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah mom, I'm fine," she replied, pushing a small but forced smile onto her face. "I'm just tired."

"You want to go home and sleep then? I can do this stuff on my own."

"No mom I'll come help. I'm the Maid of Honour; it's my job to help you with all your wedding preparations. Trust me I'm fine…I'll have some more coffee and I'll be bouncing off the walls, I promise."

"Never make a promise you can't keep," Lorelai advise jokingly.

"Ok I'll be bouncing off the walls in my Yale educated brain."

"I don't think Yale will be happy to hear that."

"That doesn't matter, I don't go there anymore."

"That is true. Well we better hit the road jack," Lorelai said waving Luke over. "Two coffees and two cherry Danishes to go please."

Luke returned a few minutes with two take away cups and two paper bags. "Thanks babe," Lorelai said kissing his cheek. "I promise I'll take lots of photos of all the wedding stuff to show you later." Luke groaned as he held the door open for the girls.

"And I promise I won't let her use the camera," Rory called over her shoulder.

"Oh yuck," Lorelai remarked staring up at the pink and white sign above a bridal store in Hartford. "'Betty's Bridal Boutique'," she read off the sign. "How cutesy and gross."

Rory poked her tongue out in disgust, "I agree. But I guess we better go in. This is the last one and we still haven't found you a dress or a bouquet."

Lorelai shrugged and turned to her daughter. "What do I need them for? A dress, a bouquet, I don't need them at my wedding."

"Mom the dress is the most important part of the wedding apart from the bride and groom and you as the bride have to wear a white dress."

"My wedding can be new and unique," Lorelai protested.

"Mom."

"Ok fine, I need the dress but do we have to go in this shop? It's so cutesy."

"It's the only one left," Rory said pointedly. "Besides, we look really stupid standing outside on the street staring at the door."

"We'd look more stupid if we went in."

"Would not, come on." Rory grabbed her mothers arm and pulled her inside. Rory and Lorelai headed straight for the rack of white dresses and began pulling out any that they liked. When they each had a handful they headed to the change room and Lorelai went through and tried them all on. She was down to her last dress and she came out and twirled in front of the mirror. "What do you think?" she asked Rory.

Rory screwed up her nose. "I like the one before it better, and the third one you tried on."

Lorelai turned back into the change room and pulled out two dresses. "I think I like this one the most," she said holding up a halter neck dress with thick straps. It poofed out a bit at the hips and faint silver glitter sparkled along its entire length.

"Try it on again," Rory said, "I'll go put these back." She pointed at the discarded dresses. She grabbed them as Lorelai returned to the change room. She walked over to the rack of dresses and put them away. As she put the last one in another got caught on it. She pulled them out and then put Lorelai's discarded one back on the rack. The dress that had gotten caught was a simple strapless dress with a strip of white glitter along the top. It was her size. She simply stared at it for a few minutes before she heard her mother's voice calling her.

"Rory? Rory, I need you to do up the zipper on this please hon." Rory put the dress back on the rack and went back to the change room.

"Ok mom, coming in," she called opening the door and doing up the zip on her mothers dress. Lorelai adjusted the tie around her neck and turned around.

"What do you think kid?"

"Definitely the best one," Rory replied. "You look beautiful mom."

"Thanks kid." Lorelai grinned admiring herself in the mirror. "I like it too, it's perfect, for real," she whispered.

Lorelai's ringing cell phone broke the moment and Lorelai flipped it open her wide smile still in place. As she listened to the person on the other end of the line her smile slowly dulled. "Yeah I'll be there in 20 minutes," she sighed into the phone.

"Rory, hon, I have to go. Sookie and Michel are tearing the Inn apart and somehow we've doubled booked and I just have to get back." She returned into the dressing room and changed into her normal clothes as quick as possible.

"Here sweets," Lorelai said stuffing the two dresses and their coat hangers into Rory's arms. She also handed her a credit card. "Pay for that dress I found and pick out some flowers for me, I trust you. Thanks babe," she called out as she sped out of the shop.

Rory put the discarded dress back and once again her eyes fell on the simple strapless dress. She pulled it out again and looked at it. It was beautiful; she wondered what it would look like on her. _What's the harm in just trying it on? _She asked herself and with a shrug took the dress, along with her mothers into a change room stuffing Lorelai's credit card into her wallet on the way. She put on the dress and stepped out to look in the mirror. The dress fit her perfectly and she looked the perfect picture of a happy bride.

"Oh my," the elderly lady who owned the shop said as she came up behind her. "You look so beautiful! He is a lucky, lucky man your future husband," the old lady said beaming at her.

Rory's smile fell, "Yeah, a lucky man," she said to herself as the old lady walked off. "If only there was someone." She sighed just as her cell phone went off. She went and searched for it in the pile of clothes on the floor of the change room.

"Hello," she said quickly before the other person hung up. She sat down on the round seat in the middle of all the change rooms, her dress spreading out around her.

"Hey Ace."

"Logan, hi," she said flustered. What was she going to do? She was wearing a wedding dress! She couldn't change with him on the phone.

"You okay?" he asked her.

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine perfectly fine."

"If you say so…"

"I do," she replied quickly.

"Well, I was you just calling to let you know that I am actually going to London basically as soon as I get back to Hartford and I won't be back until Tuesday night at the earliest. Hopefully, I'll get a holiday or something after, not likely though," he said suppressing a yawn.

"You sound tired," she stated. "I thought you'd done you're stint in London."

"So did I, but Daddy Huntzberger wants me to go check up on things there. It'll be nice to see all my friends again. The people there are really nice, but I wish I didn't have to go so soon after being in L.A. I'm just about dead on my feet here."

"Yeah you sound like it. Well, I'll let you go then, get some sleep," she said rushing to end the phone call before anything disastrous occurred. And then it did.

"Would you like to try a veil with that miss?" the elderly lady asked returning. Rory shook her head quickly and flinched hoping Logan hadn't heard her. But he had.

"Where are you Ace?" he asked her.

"Home?" she said as more of a question then a statement.

"What kind of home do you live at that people ask you if you want a veil?"

"Uh, a very strange one?" she said hopefully.

"Ace…"

"Fine I'm at _Betty's Bridal Boutique _in Hartford." There was a short silence that followed. "With Mom," she added. It wasn't quite a lie; she wouldn't have been here if it wasn't for Lorelai.

Logan inhaled sharply in surprise. "Yeah, I know the place," he said after a few seconds silence covering the awkwardness and his own shock.

"Wait, you what?"

"Yeah Honor went and bought all her stuff there. Dragged me along, It was fun," he said sarcastically.

"Yeah well it was the last place me and mom went to. We had to get her dress. We found it," she babbled. "We wouldn't have even gone in because of the sucky name but it was the last place in Hartford or the surrounding area."

"Ah, I see. Well, I was just calling to tell you about London. I was hoping to get your voice mail actually," he admitted.

"What? You didn't want to talk to me?"

"I do, I do, don't get me wrong. I'm just busy and in a hurry and…" he trailed off into a yawn.

"And tired?" Rory supplied.

"No, no I'm not…" Another yawn cut him off. "Ok maybe I am. Just a bit."

"Uh huh…well maybe you should have 'just a bit' of a nap," she said.

"Sounds like a good idea Ace. I'll talk to you later. Have fun at Betty's."

"The time of my life, bye," she replied with a smile and flipped her phone shut, slumping back against the backrest. "Oh thank god," she muttered shutting her eyes and letting her head fall back. She sat up straight again when she heard a voice calling her.

"Rory? Rory, you still here? Excuse me, have you seen my daughter? Looks like me, bright blue eyes…"

"Yes she's in the back. She looks beautiful miss."

"The back? Why is she in the back? That's the…" Lorelai trailed off and came into view just in time to see her daughter running towards her change room, her dress bunched up in her arms.

"Gilmore's never run," Lorelai said and Rory sheepishly turned around. "Hon, why don't you tell me what's going on?"

Rory conceded and sat down on the round couch again. Lorelai sat down next to her, careful not to sit on her dress.

Rory sighed. "Is it because you're talking to Logan again?" Lorelai asked her.

"No. Yes. I don't know. I just saw it and it looked so…perfect."

"Stand up."

"What?"

"Stand up," Lorelai ordered. Rory did so and stood a few steps back in front of her mother. "Oh Rory, it is perfect. Logan would be speechless if he ever saw you in that."

"If he ever even sees me again, let alone in this dress. Mom, I'm in a wedding dress."

"I know babe and you look beautiful. We're buying it," Lorelai decided.

"Mom, I'm not the one getting married, you are."

"I know, believe me I know," Lorelai smiled, "But one day you are going to get married

kid, and when you do you need the perfect dress. And this is it."

"Who knows when I'm going to get married? It might be 10 years from now, 15 years from now. Mom I might never get married! I'm so glad I had sex."

"Whoa you what?"

"Lane. She couldn't have sex until she got married and she thought she'd never get married so she'd never have sex. But I had sex so it doesn't matter if I never get married because I didn't grow up in the Kim house so I can have sex before marriage," Rory rambled.

"But Lane got married and Lane…had sex…can we stop talking about this? Rory you will get married and it won't be 15 years from now. In 10 years I guarantee you will be married to a man you love and who loves you back."

"How do you know?"

"I just do, you're a Gilmore, the male gender can't resist us and our baby blues."

Rory laughed at this. "Thanks Mom."

"No problem hon, now go get out of that dress. You've still got my dress and credit card right?" Rory nodded, "Come on then let's burn a hole in the plastic."

Rory smiled and went in to change. She came out a few minutes later with both dresses. She handed them to Lorelai and fished her wallet out of her purse taking out Lorelai's credit card as they walked to the front counter. The lady looked up from the dress she was sewing and walked over to them.

"Oh it's you," she said smiling at Rory, "You looked so beautiful in that dress."

"Thank you," Rory mumbled.

"We'll take them both," Lorelai said putting both dresses on the counter.

The lady bagged them up and handed Lorelai the receipt to sign.

"Thank you for shopping here, please come again soon," the lady said, handing Rory and Lorelai their bags.

"Mom you didn't have to buy that," Rory said as they walked down the street.

"Yeah I did kid. It was _your _dress and when yourperfect day comes you need your perfect dress."

Rory sighed, "Thanks mom."

Lorelai smiled, "No problem kiddo."

They walked back to the car in silence. Lorelai drove out of Hartford and headed towards Stars Hollow.

"Logan called me," Rory told Lorelai.

"When you were in the…?"

"Yeah."

"Did he know you were in there?"

"Yeah. The old lady came up and asked me if I wanted a veil. That's not something that's easy to hide or change."

"So what did you tell him?"

"The truth," Rory said simply, Lorelai looked at her daughter. "With a little tiny white lie thrown in. I told him I was there with you which is _technically_ true because I wouldn't even be there if it wasn't for you."

"Well no," Lorelai began, "Technically it's because of Luke, _he_ is the one that proposed."

"But you said yes," Rory argued.

"So totally beside the point."

"It is not. It is the total point. If you had said no we wouldn't have had to go wedding shopping and I wouldn't have been in that dress when Logan called me."

"So you want me to have said no to Luke?" Lorelai asked, pretending to be horrified.

"No! I am just pointing out that it is your fault, by saying yes, that Logan caught me in that dress. Stop putting words in my mouth!"

"Well kid, if you feel so strongly about it, then I'm sorry that I am marrying the love of my life because it caused slight havoc with you and the love of your life."

Rory poked her tongue out at Lorelai and turned away from her mother to stare out the window. Was Logan the love of her life? The answer to that was simple. Yes, he was.


	6. Chapter 6: It's Nice To Be Home

**AN: hey sorry it's been like so totally ages but frenchies and senior school will impact greatly on your writing time trust me. But now im back for a few weeks until I go 2 france!!! I hope I'll have chap 7 up before I go though…wish me luck!**

**ok just so you know I have nothing against gays this is just kind of lashing out at all the finn/colin fics that are out there cause as funny as they are they're just plain weird!!!**

**Uh reviews would be great I love them…**

**Chapter 6: It's nice to be home…**

Logan woke up as his plane hit the runway and taxied down it. He yawned and stretched as he looked at his watch; five till one. _Hm, early, _he thought sleepily. He looked out the window for Frank and saw him leaning against the black limo. He smiled as he also noticed Colin and Finn chasing each other around it. _It's nice to be home, _he thought. _At least for a little while, _he added to himself remembering his 6am flight out to London. He gathered his things as the plane slowed to a stop and got off thanking the pilot on the way before walking towards the limo.

As he approached Finn ran full pelt towards him and hid from Colin behind him.

"Logan," the Aussie whined, "Make Colin stop chasing me."

"I'll stop chasing you when you give back my cell phone and stop threatening to call all the girls in my phone book and telling them I'm gay!" Colin retorted and started chasing Finn again.

"Colin, being gay is nothing to be ashamed of," Logan called after his friends. Colin sent him a death glare before he set off chasing Finn around the limo again. "If looks could kill..." Logan muttered shaking his head and walking over to Frank. He had a smile on his face when he reached Frank. "Hi Frank," he said. "It's nice to see you again."

"You too Mr. Huntzberger," Frank replied politely taking Logan's bag and putting it in the boot. Logan watched as Colin chased Finn in between and around the grounded planes. _Good thing Hartford isn't an important airport, _he thought.

"Are you ready to leave Mr. Huntzberger?" Frank asked as he returned to Logan.

"Yes, let's go." Frank opened the door for Logan. "Come on guys let's go," Logan yelled

as he stepped in through the open door. A few minutes later Frank had shut the door behind Colin and Finn had slid in on the other side of Logan.

"Where to Mr. Huntzberger?" Frank asked through the partition.

Logan looked at Colin and Finn questionably. "The local bar," Finn said. "What's it called?"

"Rich Man's Shoe," Colin supplied.

"That's the one!"

"Right won't be long," Frank replied shutting the partition.

Logan turned to Finn, "We've been going to this pub for years and you don't know the name of it? How is that possible?"

"Well, when we're going in I'm to excited about the alcohol and sheilas waiting for me inside to worry about the bloody name and when we're coming out I'm too drunk to remember," Finn explained.

"You know what," Colin said thoughtfully. "That's probably right."

"Sad but true," Logan agreed.

They fell into a companionable silence until Finn let loose…"So Colin who should I start with?" he asked pulling Colin's cell phone out of his pocket. "Hm…maybe Stephanie?"

"Give me back my cell!" Colin yelled.

"But Colin the women of the world need to know that you're off the market 'cause you just don't swing that way."

"Finn!"

Logan leant his head against the seat with a grin plastered on his face as Finn and Colin fought over the top of him. _It really is nice to be home, _he thought before he shut his eyes and fell asleep.

Colin accidentally nudged Logan awake as he got out of the limo when Frank had pulled up outside the pub. He blinked sleepily and rubbed his eyes.

"Come on Logan move," Finn whined from next to him. "Get out."

"Why can't you just get out the other side?" Logan grumbled as he got out of the limo and stood next to Colin on the pavement.

"You have to get out the safety side," Finn said. "God didn't your mother teach you anything."

"Shira? Teach? You're kidding me," Colin said sceptically.

"Well your nanny then," Finn said.

Logan looked thoughtful. "I think one taught me how to cross the road, you know, 'look right, look left, listen then look right again' but nothing about getting out the 'safety side'."

"I don't think my nanny or any of my mothers taught me anything about the safety side either," Colin put in.

"Not even that hot red head?"

"Finn she left when we were 8. How did you think she was hot?"

"She's a red head mate."

"Finn you were 8!" Logan exclaimed. "How was one of Colin's mothers hot to you?"

"Exactly my point!" Colin said.

"Gents this really is beside the point."

"What is the point Finn?" Colin asked as Logan went to the window of the limo and told Frank he'd call him when they needed to leave.

"The point is that we are standing OUTSIDE the pub. Let's go in shall we mates?" Finn stepped towards the pub entrance but Colin grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Finn," Colin said.

"Let me go," the Australian complained trying to wriggle out of his friends grip but Logan grabbed his other arm knowing Colin had a good reason and it would probably provide much needed humour.

"Look up there," Colin said pointing above their heads.

Logan smirked and let loose a small laugh as he saw what Colin was pointing at, the lit up sign of the Rich Man's Shoe. "Can you read that Finn or would you like me to read it for you?" Logan asked.

"I can read it," Finn replied and if to prove it he read the sign out loud. "'Rich Man's Shoe. Established 1923'."

"My God he can read!" Colin exclaimed jokingly.

"Yes, yes I went to school and I paid attention, now come on let's go," Finn grumbled leading the way into the pub. Logan followed him with a smirk on his face.

Finn headed straight for the bar as soon as they entered but Colin lead Logan towards a table at the back that housed Stephanie, Robert, Juliet, Rosemary and Seth.

"Huntz," Robert greeted. "We were wondering when you'd be back."

Logan sat down in between Rosemary and Seth and across from Stephanie. Colin slid into the seat across from Rosemary and next to Steph engaging her in conversation almost immediately. "I'm not back for long. I'm flying out in…" he looked at his watch. "Four and a half hours."

"Where to this time?" Robert asked.

"London," Logan answered as Finn approached with two full glasses of beer and a half full one. He handed the full ones to Logan and Colin and took a seat down the end next to Rosemary and Colin sliding Colin's phone across to him. Colin smiled his thanks and continued talking to Steph.

"I thought you'd done your stint in London," Seth said.

"So did I," Logan replied. "But where Mitchum Huntzberger sends me, I go."

"Say hi to Will and Harry for me," Steph said with a twinkle in her eye and Logan flinched slightly. _Don't think about her, not now. Don't think about that day. Or what happened just one year later, _he told himself trying to push the thoughts of Rory out of his mind as he gulped down his beer and headed to the bar for another.

On his way back from the bar his cell phone rang. He flipped it open and walked outside to hear the other person better.

"Hello?" he said into his phone.

"Logan, I'm heading to Honk Kong for a few days. You were supposed to go after London but I decided it would be better if I went, to give you a chance to catch up on you're beauty sleep," Mitchum said.

"Gee thanks Dad. Wouldn't have anything to do with you being able to speak Chinese when I can't would it?" Logan said sarcastically.

"No Logan I am doing this for your benefit seeing as you were so upset about having to go to London."

"That's because I've been working 17 hour days Dad. I'm tired I need a few days to recuperate."

"Well why aren't you recuperating now Logan? Why aren't you in a hotel sleeping until your flight instead of out partying with your friends?"

"Because I haven't seen them in months Dad!"

"What does that matter? I thought you were tired Logan, exhausted," Mitchum said.

"I'm tired of being alone and working all the time, that's what I'm tired of."

"Then get married Logan!"

"It's not that easy."

"Of course it is Logan. Go out find and someone; I'm sure your mother will be able to help you with that."

"I don't want to marry a society girl; I want someone with a freaking personality and brains! I want someone with their own opinions and not someone that's with me just because my last name's Huntzberger."

"They're all only with you because of your name Logan."

"Not all of them," Logan said quietly.

"You're still in love with her," Mitchum stated, all matter of fact.

"Who?"

"That girl, Rory Gilmore."

Logan remained silent. His father was good at reading people there was no denying that it was what had made him so successful. Logan had just always thought that his father had been unable to read him, but here and now Mitchum knew who was in Logan's heart and he couldn't even see his son's face.

"She said no Logan; it's time to move on."

"Bye dad," Logan said hanging up the phone. He returned to his table and talked to his friends, glad he had them at least. He looked over at Finn and Colin who were talking and flirting with Rosemary and Steph respectively, and realized just how lucky he was to have such brilliant friends. Colin and Finn, two finer wingmen were never had. They'd busted him out of jail and helped him out more times then he could count. He wouldn't have survived boarding school, or Yale, without them. They seemed immature at times but they were the best friends a guy could have. Logan's eyes flicked across to Stephanie. They'd known each other for ages, she was in love with his best friend and Colin was in love with her too, everyone knew it except them. She was a big part of their little group and he was glad they were still friends after school. Steph was giggling along with Rosemary as Colin looked on bewildered, Finn was grinning widely and Logan had a feeling he had just insulted Colin big time and Colin's brain was working overtime trying to understand what the tipsy Aussie had said.

Rosemary and Finn seemed to be getting a little closer as of late and Logan made a mental note to ask Finn about that later. Rose was also a valuable member of their group; her red hair made her a favourite in Finn's book and since he met her he'd never let her leave their little group. Secretly Logan thought Finn was more taken with her then he'd ever admit.

Logan then looked over at Seth and Robert who were engaged in a heated debate at the end of the table. Seth was the genius. The smarts amongst the Hartford elite and due to his high society family had fallen in with the 'right crowd' completely by accident. He didn't look like much but once you got to know him he was a good laugh and knew a lot of useless but interesting information.

Robert on the other hand…Logan has always thought that guy was an idiot; he was only part of their group because he was Colin's cousin. He was a bit of an ass but he could be ok once you got to know him. He was loyal to his friends and always available for comic relief when Finn was preoccupied or passed out on the floor.

Logan was lucky he had such wonderful friends but there was one person missing…his Ace. _She would be here if I hadn't asked her to marry me, she'd still be here, she'd be with me. _He sighed and turned to Rosemary and Finn, a fake smile plastered on his face.

"Take them home thanks Frank," Logan yelled to his driver over the sounds of car horns and engines. Frank had pulled up outside the public entrance of Hartford airport and the man was handing him his bag.

"Don't be a stranger mate," a drunken Finn called through the open window.

"Yeah," Colin agreed. "We'll see you soon right?"

"You will,' Logan promised before he went inside the airport and checked in. He waited in the business lounge for 15 minutes before an attractive blonde hostess came and led him to his seat.

"Just let me know if you need anything," she said smiling at him flirtatiously.

"Will do," Logan said smiling back politely. The hostess smiled again before she turned away. Logan groaned as he leaned back into the fluffy pillows. _One good thing about being rich is that first class is comfy, _he thought with a grin. He shut his eyes and hoped that he would be able to sleep the whole 3 hours it took to get to London.

He had no such luck, he couldn't sleep at all. Turns out all he could think about was her. Rory…he hadn't been to London since they were together, he hadn't seen any of friends since he'd had her to call afterwards. London held a lot of memories for them…he hoped that in the future it would hold many more…


	7. Chapter 7: Calling The Bluff

Chapter 8 -

**A/N: Long A/N this time. First off, I am SO SO SO SO sorry about the massive wait. I've been sooooo busy. Since I put up the last chapter I've had my French exchange student, been to France, survived jet lag, lived through exams and FINALLY gotten holidays and the time to do some writing. YAY!**

**Second, the info in this chapter about the news papers in Australia may not be totally correct, I don't know how the newspaper industry works and just because I'm an Aussie girl doesn't mean I know what the newspapers are like in the other states.**

**Third, I'm sorry this is chapter work related but it was just filler, setting the scene kind of thing and then it got too long…well anyway, here it is. I hope you enjoy it. **

**Chapter 7 – Calling the Bluff  
**

The weekend came and went including the bid-a-basket festival which Rory didn't attend despite Lorelai's protests and desire for newly painted window sills. Instead she spent the weekend editing and polishing her saved up articles for the Stamford Eagle Gazette as well as planning Lorelai and Luke's wedding while watching numerous wedding movies with Lorelai. Before she knew it, it was Monday morning and she was on her way to work when she realised she hadn't heard from Logan in days. She checked her inbox, voicemail and email to see if she'd missed something from him but she hadn't so she decided to call him when she had her break at work.

As soon as Logan had arrived in London he'd gone straight to his hotel room and fallen asleep. He'd slept from 5pm until 7am London time and when he had woken up he'd felt refreshed. He had had no idea how long this feeling would last though. He had just hoped it would last him through until Sunday when he didn't have such a long day at work. He was lucky; he just made it to Sunday afternoon. When he had returned to his hotel room on Sunday afternoon he had done nothing but slept and prepared a little bit of a presentation for the meeting he had on Monday morning.

Now it was Monday morning and he was tired again. As he drove to work it occurred to him that he hadn't heard from or spoken to Rory in days. After he'd called her and she'd been in the bridal store it'd had been awkward so he hadn't called her the next day then he just forgot with everything that was going on and he just went back to the days when he didn't call her all the time. He promised himself he'd call her that night when he got back from work.

Logan stepped out of the silence of the elevator and into the hustle and bustle of his father's London newspaper. "Good morning Mr Huntzberger," came numerous voices as he walked towards his office. He nodded his replies and settled down in his office. His secretary came in and knocked on his open door.

"Excuse me Mr Huntzberger," she said timidly.

"Mr Huntzberger is my father Rachel; please call me Logan."

"Sorry," she smiled. "Mr Richardson and Mr Andrews are here. I sent them to the conference room and told them you'd be with them shortly."

"Thank you Rachel," Logan said getting up and taking his briefcase into the conference room where Mr Richardson and Mr Andrews were waiting. Logan walked in switching off his cell phone as he set his briefcase down on the table. Mr Richardson and Mr Andrews were both relatively young, late 30's early 40's and both were dressed in black suits.

"Good morning Mr Richardson, Mr Andrews, I'm Logan Huntzberger,' he said shaking their hands and sitting down across the table from them.

"I'm very thankful that you came here today, I appreciate you flying in from Australia to have this meeting with me today," Logan said pulling some document out of his briefcase.

"No worries mate, I heard you're not from around here either," Mr Richardson said with a wide grin on his tanned face.

"Nope I live in America actually. After I finished college I came and worked in London for a year and now I'm just back checking up on things," Logan explained.

"You went to Yale right?"

"Yep, as did my father and grand father before me, I wasn't allowed much of a choice in what college I went to but I'm glad I went to Yale It was an excellent school."

"But what about the girl's mate?" Mr Richardson asked with a chuckle.

Logan laughed, "Definitely better then the other Ivy League schools," he said thinking of one girl in particular that he met at Yale. "Now I don't want to keep you too long so let's get down to business shall we?"

Rory walked into the break room at work, massaging her neck as she made herself a cup of coffee. She had just finished her article on the new high way. Her editor loved how she could spice up the most boring things, it was a talent left over from her Chilton days when she worked under Paris at the Franklin. She still worked at the Stamford Eagle Gazette, after she'd rejected the offer to work on the campaign trail and hadn't been accepted for the intern ship at the New York Times she had returned to the familiar environment of the Stamford Eagle Gazette. She opened her phone and decided to give Logan a call. She dialled his familiar number and waited nervously as it rung. It went straight to voicemail and she breathed a sigh of disappointment when she heard just his recorded voice. She left a message and headed back to her desk.

"I'm taking the afternoon off. You can reach me on my cell if you need me Rachel," Logan told his secretary as he walked out of his office tiredly and past her. "But I'd prefer it if you didn't," he called over his shoulder as he waited for the elevator.

She nodded at him and he grinned at her before the elevator doors closed.

Logan walked out of the building and down the street into the café on the corner he had often stopped in on his way to work during his year in London. He took a seat in a booth near the window ordering a coffee from the waitress who passed by his table. He sat and calmly watched all the people bustling past eachother on their daily errands.

His coffee had arrived and Logan was just starting to relax when his cell phone started to ring in his pocket. He pulled it out and flipped it open.

"Yeah Rachel what is it?" he said. He waited for her reply. "They're what! I'll be there in two minutes. Have all the files in the conference room and call my father, I want him on the phone when I get to the office," he said throwing down the money for his coffee and rushing out of the café and back to the building his office was in. He flipped his phone shut as he waited for the elevator. When the door opened he rushed in jabbing the level 3 button quickly. "Come on, come on, come on," he muttered. The doors shut and the elevator began to move up, Logan paced the elevator impatiently until it opened on his level. He sped out and towards his office. "Rachel is my father on the phone?" he asked his receptionist.

"Yes he's on the line," Rachel replied holding up the receiver.

Logan took it off her thanking her with a nod and speaking into it. "Dad they want more," he said.

"How much more?" Mitchum asked.

"3 million."

"We're already offering them 2 million!" Mitchum thundered.

"I know."

"That's 5 million! That's almost more then I paid for the Times!"

"I know dad," Logan repeated. "I wanted you to ask your opinion before I made a decision to do with this much money."

"Good. Now we want to expand our horizons at Huntzberger Publishing Group so I say we need to accept their offer but lay on some of the charm son we don't want to pay anymore then we have to."

"Got it, bye Dad." Logan hung up and rushed into the meeting room. "Let me know as soon as they arrive Rachel," he called over his shoulder. He sat down in the meeting room where all the files, records and contracts for the deal between HPG and The Herald Sun in Australia. He speedily but thoroughly scanned everything in front of him trying to retain as much information as possible before Mr Andrews and Mr Richardson returned.

Less than half an hour later Logan's cell phone buzzed with a message from Rachel, _"They're here,"_ it said.

Logan quickly packed up all the paperwork shovelling it back into the folders it came in and piling it in front of his chair. He redid his top button, fixed his tie and was on his way back from the water cooler with a glass of water in his hand when Rachel opened the door. Mr Richardson and Mr Andrews entered their pleasant and warm smiles from before had disappeared to be replaced with expressionless faces. These men we're all business and they thought Logan would be a pushover. Boy were they wrong, the young blond was a Huntzberger, he had been groomed from birth to do exactly this.

"Gentlemen, take a seat," Logan said gesturing at the chairs opposite his. Mr Andrews and Mr Richardson took their seats. Logan took his own seat and his glass of water off to his right. "I understand you gentleman have upped your offer."

Mr. Andrews cleared his throat. "Yes we have."

Logan's brown eyes focused on him. "By a significant amount too."

"Yes, in light of recent information we have discovered we believe the Sun is worth more," Mr Richardson said.

Logan moved the pile of manila folders in front of him to his left so he could see Mr Andrews and Mr Richardson better. "3 million dollars more? I wonder what information you have obtained to give you incentive to up your offer by that much, it's more then double."

"Information that tells us of your past business ventures," Mr Andrews said.

"What about them?" Logan asked with slightly gritted teeth.

"One in particular drew our attention. Last year you acquired a business that buried this London based sector of Huntzberger Publishing Group in legal fees," Mr Andrews continued.

"I don't see what that has to do with Huntzberger Publishing Group's offer to buy the Herald Sun," Logan said heatedly.

"We don't want someone that is incapable of acquiring and handling a business to take over ours," Mr Richardson said.

"Richo!" Mr Andrews exclaimed.

"What?" Mr Richardson asked turning to his business partner. "He needs us if he wants to expand into the Australian market; we're the sole biggest newspaper in the country."  
Logan looked up keenly at the mention of being the SOLE biggest newspaper in Australian. He was remembering a holiday he, Colin, Steph and Rosemary had taken to visit Finn's grandparents in Australia.

_Finn's grandfather had both The Age and The Herald Sun delivered every morning. At breakfast one morning Logan asked him why. "You're the one who owns all the newspapers aren't you?" Finn's grandfather said. Logan nodded. "You want to know why I have both the Age and the Sun? I'll tell you, they're both as good as the other, neither is better. They're the most popular papers in the country. Of course people have their preferences, some like the Age, some like the Sun, some like both, the Sun during the week because it only prints the most important stuff and is good when you don't have a lot of time to sit and read the paper. The Age on the other hand is more thorough and a bit more sophisticated but also longer so it takes longer to read."  
_

Never in his wildest dreams had Logan ever thought that that interesting conversation would come in handy.

"Well if you are the only really big newspaper in the country I guess Huntzberger Publishing needs to fork out that extra couple of million."

"We are," Mr Richardson said. "There's a couple of minor players but they're nothing special, nothing that competes with the Sun."

"Oh, is that so?" Logan asked. _I think you're bluffing Mr Richardson, _Logan thought with a secret grin.

"Yep no one can compete with the excellence and skill of the staff at the Sun. The Australian public love the Sun," Mr Richardson continued.

"Let's get down to business then shall we gentlemen?" Logan asked reaching for the manila folder at the top of his pile and pulling out the formal contracts of this business venture. "This is exactly the same contract that was mailed to you last week. All we need to do is put in the amounts and sign it off and it'll be official. Did you have any problems with any of the conditions of the contract?"

The men shook their heads, triumph showing slightly in Mr Richardson's eyes before he quickly hid it reaching into his pocket for a pen. "Lets dot the "i's" and cross the "t's" shall we?"

"Lets," Logan agreed smiling warmly.

They all looked through the contract and marking where they needed to sign.

"So the amount, 5 million, here?" Mr Richardson pointing to an empty space on the document.

"5 million? That's a bit much isn't it?" Logan questioned, looking up at the two men. "An extra 3 million just for my 'incapability' to handle a business."

"Not just for that," Mr Richardson said. "For all the work we've put in to make the Sun the best newspaper in the country with no close competition."

Logan chose this moment to doing some of his best acting yet. "Excuse me for a minute gentlemen," he said pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. "This is the call I'm expecting from my father about how this is going so I really need to take this, I won't be a moment, just look over the contract to make sure." He walked a few paces away flipping his cell open and pretending to talk to Mitchum. "Another news paper? The Age?" Logan looked at Mr Richardson's reflection in the tinted glass window and noticed him flinch when Logan mentioned 'the Age'. "Yep, I'll do that." He shut his phone with a snap and walked back to his seat.

"'No close competition'?" Logan quoted glaring at Mr Richardson who gulped. Logan's gaze switched to Mr Andrews. "'Sole biggest newspaper in the country'?" Logan watched as Mr Richardson and Mr Andrews looked worse and worse. "I think you've been lying to me," Logan said quietly, but just loud enough for them to hear.

Mr Richardson gulped again and looked at his business partner who had gone slightly pale underneath his tanned skin.

"Uh, yeah…sorry about that mate…it's a dog eat dog world you know…" Mr Richardson said.

"Yes and this dog is going to eat your dog for 2.5 million," Logan said. "I'll add half a million on for security for my 'lack of skill' in handling businesses and business deals," he said disdainfully.

"4 and a half million," Mr Richardson said.

"No less than 2.5 million," Logan said firmly. "That's my final offer." He waited for a few moments in silence. "No takers?" he asked them. "Ok then," he shrugged starting to pack up.

"No! No, we'll take it," Mr Andrews said.

"Yeah we'll take it," Mr Richardson said with a sigh.

"Good idea gentlemen," Logan said. "I'll just get my lawyer in here to legalise this.

10 minutes later the contract was signed and the Herald Sun, was the first newspaper in Australia to belong to Huntzberger Publishing Group.

"Nice doing business with you gentlemen," Logan said shaking hands with both Mr Andrews and Mr Richardson as they were about to leave.

"I don't like this Daz, letting an amateur like him take over our company," Mr Richardson said as the pair went out the door and down the quiet hallway.

Logan stood in the open door way of the meeting room to listen to their conversation.

"Richo, it'll be fine. He's a Huntzberger," Mr Andrews assured his friend.

"Dam straight I'm a Huntzberger," Logan muttered.

"His father is Mitchum Huntzberger. He'll keep him in check," Mr Andrews said quietly.

Logan groaned and shut the door as he heard this last remark. _Will I ever escape the shadow of Mitchum Huntzberger? _Logan thought packing up and carrying all of the paperwork out for Rachel to put away.

"Thanks a lot by the way Rachel," Logan said to her as he placed the paperwork on the edge of her desk.

"No problem," she replied already starting to file away the paperwork into the filing cabinets that lined the wall behind her desk.

"Good night," he said to her as he grabbed his jacket from his office and walk out of the building again.

"Good night," she replied.

"And Rachel," Logan called.

"Yes sir?" she answered looking up from her computer screen.

"Remind me to buy a bottle of whiskey for Finn tomorrow."


	8. Chapter 8: The Atlantic Ocean

Chapter 8

**A/N: Who ever it was that so kindly reminded me that it has been MONTHS since my last update; I apologise and offer you this…along with the next THREE chapters in apology. Hope you like it. The Rory/Logan interaction is coming, I swear, hang in there with me!**

**Chapter 8: The Atlantic Ocean**

Logan sat fuming in the back seat of a cab as it drove him to his hotel room Mr Andrews' words ringing in his head, '…Mitchum Huntzberger…he'll keep him in check…'

"Damn it," he muttered. Why did this even get to him anyway? It's not like Mitchum had any real pull over him anyway, besides he'd learnt from his mistakes and now he knew to trust his father's instincts and heed his advice…sometimes at least. He was just so pissed off by the fact that people thought he still needed his daddy to make sure he was doing the right thing. He was 25 for goods sake.

The cab dropped him off at his hotel and he walked into the lobby and waited for the elevator. He jabbed the 'Level 3' button in the elevator and stood seething as the elevator rose stopping at each floor on its way. He stormed out of the elevator, when it reached his floor, and to his door. He shoved the electronic key in the lock and wrenched the door open. "Mitchum Huntzberger this, Mitchum Huntzberger that. Jeez what is it with that guy? How does he bloody well gets freaking respect from people on the other side of the globe?!" Logan muttered angrily. He walked into his room and threw his jacket and briefcase on the couch. He was just undoing his tie when his phone beeped at him. He flipped it open and looked at the display, he had had missed a call while in that meeting and whoever they were had left a message on his voice mail; he pressed the button to listen to it and held his phone to his ear.

_  
"Hi Logan it's Rory. I just thought I'd call you because we hadn't spoken in a while; anyway you're not there, hence the message, so just give me a call when you can. I'd really like for us to be friends. Well, bye." _

Logan leaned against the closed door of his hotel room. "I want us to be more." He whispered, flipping his phone shut. He'd call her tomorrow; he couldn't handle it right now. Right now he needed a drink.

Rory looked up in alarm as she heard a voice, "No I do not want a cup of coffee. I'll only be here for 15 minutes. Half an hour at the most. I'm just checking up on things."

"Oh no," Rory whispered.

"What is it?" her best friend Isabella asked her.

"Oh no."

"Rory, what is it?"

"Mitchum Huntzberger," she whispered with dread.

"Oh my God! Mitchum Huntzberger! Here? Where? Why aren't you excited? I wonder if I'd get to meet him. I heard he owns over 50 newspapers in America alone! Is his son really going to take over soon? I heard his son was gorgeous, and single, can you imagine? The hot Huntzberger heir, here!" Izzie's voice was high pitched like a teenage girl's before she's about to meet her favourite celebrity.

"Yes I can imagine," Rory said weekly. "But I doubt it. I think Mitchum is going to live forever and never hand it over to Logan, just to spite us," she added under her breath.

"Logan, Mitchum, first name terms? Rory what's going on?"

"Iz, I'm taking my break. I'll be back in half an hour." Rory left the building avoiding Mitchum Huntzberger like the plague, her best friend looking worriedly after her.

Rory shivered as she exited the building realising she'd forgotten her jacket but was too scared to rung back to get it. She headed down to her favourite café, just down the street from her building. She got her caffeine fix here every afternoon and sometimes during the day. She opened the door and immediately felt the warmth of being inside again. She smiled at Ruth, the middle aged barista who was behind the counter. "Your regular Rory?" Ruth asked and Rory nodded and took her seat at the edge of the room near the window so she could people watch. _What the hell is Mitchum doing here? _she thought panicking slightly. _Did he know about her and Logan talking again? What about it anyway there was nothing going on between them they were just friends, if he ever called her back that was. Maybe Logan had said something to him. Maybe Logan-Rory! Get a grip _she told herself firmly. _A) Logan hates his father, he would never say anything about their relationship to him and B) Mitchum Huntzberger _owned _the Stanford Eagle Gazette. Of course he was going to come by occasionally. _She took a deep breath trying to calm herself but jumped when Ruth came and brought her her coffee.

"Sorry Rory," Ruth said putting her cup down on the table. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, no that's fine Ruth," Rory said with a smile. "I'm just a little jumpy, must be the weather." Rory sipped her coffee and looked out the window at the passers by on the street. She shouldn't have left like that, just because Mitchum Huntzberger turned up. What would her mother think of her? What would Mitchum think of her? She was no longer the timid intern she was when she'd worked under him. She steeled herself and got up to return her empty mug to the counter. "I'll take one for the road thanks Ruth."

Rory took a deep breath as the elevator doors opened. She stepped out into the hustle and bustle of the newspaper office. She headed down the narrow corridor and almost turned around again when she saw who was walking towards her. Her editor. And Mitchum Huntzberger. She forced a smile onto her face and continued to walk towards them. "Daniel," she smiled, nodding at him as they approached.

"Rory," he said in surprise. "Uh Miss Gilmore, this is Mitchum Huntzberger. He bought the Gazette just a few years back. Mr Huntzberger this is Rory Gilmore, she's one of our most talented reporters."

Rory flushed slightly at the compliment then looked at Mitchum. "It's nice to meet you Mr Huntzberger," Rory said formally, holding out her hand and looking right into his eyes.

At first Mitchum was shocked but year of practice had taught him to cover his emotions in the blink of an eye and he shook her hand firmly. But still he stuttered slightly in his reply. "Uh, you too _Miss_ Gilmore." He was shocked but and that he didn't like so that subtle dig made him feel himself again.

Rory walked off down the hall trying to control her breathing and the urge to turn around and scream at him.

"That has got to be the first reporter I've introduced you to that hasn't stuttered over their own name," Daniel said.

"We've met before," Mitchum replied shortly.

"Hm," Daniel mused. "I wonder why she acted that way…"

"We uh, had a falling out. She was my intern here when I acquired the paper a few years back and she was dating my son."

"Oh."

Rory was trembling when she returned to her seat. Her friend Izzie looked over at her worriedly.

"Rory, what's going on?" Izzie asked sliding her chair over to Rory's desk.

"I…Mitchum Huntzberger…Last year…" she stammered before taking a deep breath and beginning again. "Up until last June, for the past 2 and a half years I'd been dating Logan Huntzberger." Izzie gasped when she heard the name and was about to open her mouth but Rory cut her off. "During the summer, I interned here with Mitchum Huntzberger. At the end of my internship he told me I didn't have 'it'. Whatever 'it' is. It screwed my life up majorly. I stole a boat, dropped out of Yale, moved in with my grandparents, didn't speak to my mom, it was bad. Mitchum and Shira, his wife, never liked me and never thought I was good enough for their son. They didn't think I was good enough to be his wife because I wanted to work. I've barely spoken to Mitchum since my internship but whenever he came into mine and Logan's life he left us…flabbergasted, I guess is the best word, the things he said…Iz you can only imagine. He is cruel and ruthless and I hate him." Rory's eyes flashed angrily.

"You weren't speaking to your mother?" Izzie asked in surprise.

Rory smiled slightly, it still amazed her how Izzie knew her so well that the little fact of her not talking to her mother was such a big thing. "No, it was a hard time for me, Logan really helped me through it but then…" she trailed off a pained expression on her face.

"Oh Rory," Izzie said softly reaching out to hug her newly acquired best friend. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it Iz, it's not your fault," Rory said returning the hug.

"Are you ok? I mean a two year relationship is hard to recover from. And especially with his parents not thinking you're good enough. How did it end?"

"He proposed," Rory said simply but sadly. "I wasn't ready to get married, but I didn't want to lose him but it's always all or nothing with Logan."

"Oh my God," Izzie gasped. "He proposed?!" Rory nodded turning towards her computer and taking a sip of her coffee. "Wow Gilmore," Izzie said. "You sure know how to pick 'em."

"You have no idea Iz," Rory told her friend.

Rory walked into the apartment that she had reluctantly let her grandparents rent and furnish for her. Her phone first beeped at her telling her of its flat battery and then proceeded to ring. "Stupid cell phone!" Rory muttered running into her room to find the charger. She searched under her bed with one hand while the other held the insistently ringing cell phone. Deciding the person that was calling her would probably hang up soon she flipped her phone open and answered it in a rush. "Hi sorry I took ages, my phone's about to-" her phone cut out and she slumped back against her bed. "-die," she finished. She fished around under her bed for her charger and found it with its cord wrapped around one of the legs of her bed. _How on earth did it get there? _She thought. She plugged it in and turned on her phone again. She didn't even know who'd called her she hoped they'd either call her back or their number would show on her received calls. Her phone rang again just as she was searching through her menu to find her received calls. "Hello?" she answered.

"Rory? Hi, the line cut out before, I'm sorry," Logan said.

"Oh no it was my phone it died. Stupid thing beeped at me telling me it was near dead then started ringing, honestly it's just so dumb," she replied settling down cross legged on her bed.

"You do realise it is just a bunch of plastic and wires Ace?" Logan asked teasingly.

"Yes I'm aware of that," Rory replied. "But my hairdryer is smart enough to turn off when I drop it why can't my phone not ring when it's dying

Logan chose to ignore the first insane remark and replied to the second. "Because it knew I was calling and didn't want to miss out on the money I was paying it."

"You paid my phone to ring?"

"I'd pay anything to get a hold of you Ace."

"Why pay money when you could just visit?"

"Maybe I will."

Rory was momentarily speechless. _But it's not 'soon enough' yet! _She thought. She gulped and looked around her room for something change the subject to. Her eyes lighted on her book shelf and the pile of books to the side that she'd read and wanted to tell someone about. She opened her mouth to change the subject when Logan spoke cutting her off before she could make a sound.

"I'm coming back to Hartford early Friday morning and I was thinking maybe we could go out and do something. Maybe," he said suddenly wary of her answer. _What if she said no? _he thought worriedly. _What if she didn't _want _to see him? What if she was perfectly happy just being friends? What if-Logan get a GRIP! _He told himself as he waited for her to reply.

"Um, are you sure?" she asked. "Maybe we should wait a while…"

"Live in the moment Ace. Either we work out or we don't. Take the risk. Jump with me."

"Using my own line against me is not fair," Rory complained.

"It's not your own line, you didn't say that," Logan pointed out.

"Not technically, but that's basically what I said…"

"Basically is not exactly so I didn't use your own line against you." Rory remained silent admitting defeat and so Logan decided to turn back to their original subject. "So what do you say Ace will you meet me?"

"Depends where we're going," Rory said cheekily.

"Well Honour was telling me that there was a band playing on the footy ground in Hartford on Friday night so how about we meet there and go and have something to eat or drink afterwards?"

"Alright," she agreed excitedly but reluctantly. "I'll see you then."

"That you will. So how was your day?" Logan asked.

"You will never believe who was at the office today," Rory said, deciding on a whim to tell Logan about her encounter with Mitchum.

Logan sighed, he was pretty sure he knew who'd been at the Stamford Eagle Gazette and it wasn't really all that surprising seeing as he owned the place.

"Your dad," Rory continued.

"You ok?" Logan asked concerned.

"Yeah I'm fine. I faced my fear," Rory joked, slightly triumphant. "I pretended I didn't know him and I think it threw him a bit."

"If anyone could throw the infamous Mitchum Huntzberger, it'd be you Ace."

"Mmm," Rory mused. "So when are you getting back?" she asked suddenly anxious to see him.

"Early Friday morning," he replied.

"Can't wait," Rory said with a grin.

"Me either."

"I still hate the Atlantic Ocean though," she said resting her head against her bed head.

"Yeah it's a pretty sucky mass of salty water," he replied with a grin she could only hear.

"I'm serious; the Atlantic Ocean is the crappiest ocean in the whole world. I am never going swimming in it ever again."

"I'm with you on that one Ace," he said with a smile, "but it's only for a few days this time."

"Until he sends you somewhere else," Rory replied with a sigh.

Logan didn't have to ask who _he_ was. "I don't ever want to be like him. Promise me you'll bring me back if I ever start to be like him," he said quietly.

"You won't be like him Logan, you're too kind hearted, generous and loving to ever be like him."

"Thanks," he smiled. He loved this girl; she always made him feel better, even if she was more than an ocean away from him. "Well I better go; I'll see you when I get back." He hung up and put his phone on the table beside the bed. It felt good, saying he'll see her, actually _see_ her. He was going to see her again, his Ace, in the flesh, so to speak. He sighed as he flopped back onto the pillows and fell asleep, dreaming of just simply seeing her again.


	9. Chapter 9: Just Kiss and Make Up

Chapter : Just Kiss and Make Up

**A/N: ROGAN INTERACTION. Hope you're happy now. Enjoy. **

**Chapter 9: Just Kiss and Make Up**

There he was. She recognised him even though his back was facing her. _Thank God his hair's the same,_ she thought with a smile, making a mental note to mention it to her mother later.

The crowd moved and she noticed the blonde on his arm._ Of all the nerve, _she thought cursing him and his play boy ways. She cursed him for inviting her here in the first place if he was just bringing another girl. She sighed pushing back the feeling of disappointment that rose within her.

She walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. Logan turned around, surprise showing on his face before he realised who it was. "Rory Gilmore, as I live and breathe," he said, smooth as always.

"Oh you're breathing? What a shame?" The witty banter slipped out as if they'd just seen each other 4 hours ago not 4 months.

He smiled and ignored her comment. "Hey Ace," he said giving her a hug and kissing her cheek.

Rory shivered, his voice sounded so much richer in person. And _Ace_, she had always secretly loved him calling her that.

"So it's been decided that the band sucks," he said in her ear before she pulled away. She nodded in agreement trying to block out the screaming death metal that was reverberating from the speakers above their heads.

By the time she had pulled back the blonde next to Logan had turned around. Rory blushed guiltily but a big grin spread across her face when she realised who it was. His sister. "Hi Rory it's good to see you again. I've missed you," she said.

"Honour!" Rory exclaimed giving her a hug. "I've missed you too. And Steph, and Colin, and Finn, and Josh, how is Josh?" Rory rambled.

"He's good," Honour said laughing at Rory's speedy words, linking her arm with Rory's and walking away towards the street. "He's survived a few more Huntzberger dinners, so that's good, but I try and avoid taking him to _them_ whenever I can, especially without backup."

"What about me Ace? Did you miss me?" Logan asked.

"In your dreams Huntzberger," she shot over her shoulder as Honour led them to a nearby pub. Logan grinned and followed them, she was in his dreams.

Once inside Logan headed straight to the bar and got drinks for them all. Rory and Honour sat down at a tall table and Honour engaged in catching Rory up on all she'd missed. Logan returned to the table settling down opposite the girls. "So ladies, what did I miss?"

"Allysa Milano," Honour replied and Logan poked his tongue out at his sister.

"Ha ha, very funny," he said sarcastically.

Honour stood up and grabbed Rory's arm. "I need to go to the ladies room, Rory come with me?"

"Yeah you guys just leave me here, I'll be fine," Logan said sardonically with a shrug.

Rory stuck her tongue out at him. "You'll be fine, if you get into trouble, just turn on that famous Huntzberger charm," she said with a smile and turned around before he could reply following Honour into the bathroom.

As soon as Honour and Rory had left 2 skinny blonde women approached their table.

"Hey," one of them said, "Are you here all alone?"

Logan cursed silently. Regretting the day he, Colin and Finn had made a pact regarding the girls they would each get. Finn got the red heads, Colin got the brunettes, and Logan, Logan got the blondes. Ever since that day every blonde Logan came across just seemed to be drawn to him, same with Colin and brunettes and Finn with red heads (except Rosemary), it was uncanny. Over the course of their college education there had been a few exceptions to the rule, Stephanie for example, and Rory of course. But Steph and Colin were 'it' for eachother, they just both had to realise it and Rory, well Logan _thought_ she was 'the one' for him.

"Yeah you should never drink alone," the other said touching his arm and snapping him back to reality. "It's depressing."

"Well maybe I want to be depressing," he said giving them a fake smile and pulling his arm away in the act of taking a drink from his beer. "Besides I'm not alone. I'm with some...people."

"Well they're not very nice people to leave you here, all alone," the first said rubbing her hand up his arm.

Logan repressed a shudder and wished silently for Rory and Honour to appear and save him. _Damn straight they're not very nice,_ he thought.

At that moment Rory and Honour were in the bathroom touching up their make up.

"So," Honour said as she turned to face Rory. "What's going on with you and Logan?"

Rory looked up at her in surprise. "Nothing, we're just friends."

"So I didn't like crash your date or anything?"

"What? No of course not. I'm actually glad you're here," Rory confessed.

"Really? Why?"

"I was worried about seeing Logan again. It's not that I didn't want to see him or anything because I do. It's just I was worried about what would happen, how we would act. So you being here makes it much less awkward."

"And if you guys were alone it would be more like a date," Honour said with a knowing look.

"No, that's not what we want, what he wants."

"What do you mean that isn't what he wants? Rory I think it's taking all the control he possesses not to just kiss you senseless whenever he sees you. Sweetie, he still loves you, with everything has."

"I know," Rory whispered, "me too."

"You still love him?" Rory nodded, "And he loves you…what the hell are you guys doing being friends then? You two are perfect for eachother and I don't get why you don't just kiss and make up already," Honour said.

"We're, we're taking it slow. Don't want to rush into anything," Rory said trying to convince herself as well as Honour.

"Well good luck with that honey," Honour said with a sly smile, leading Rory out. "We better go see what my brother is up to."

Logan had stopped listening to the blondes about 2 words after they had said their names. He couldn't even remember them now. Jessica? Jamie? One of the too and the other girl, her name started with a T. Honestly he didn't care. He was _not_ interested. They just weren't catching the hint.

He looked up and saw Rory and Honour heading towards him. _Oh thank god, _he thought.

"Rory! Honour!" he called when they were withing shouting distance, relief showing in his eyes. "I am _so_ glad you're back."

Rory took stock of the situation and the look in Logan's eyes remembering another similar situation where Logan had saved her from some much unwanted attention.

She jumped right in without thinking. "Hey baby, did you miss me?" she asked kissing him on the cheek.

Logan's eyes widened in shock before he recovered quickly, a smile gracing his features.

"Of course," he said putting and arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

"Who is she?" the second blonde asked, Tania, that was her name.

"I'm his girlfriend silly," Rory said leaning in closer to him.

"Yeah she's my…girlfriend." It sounded right, Rory, girlfriend. His girlfriend, his.

"Really? He didn't mention he had a girlfriend, did he?" the first blonde said turning to her friend.

"No he didn't Jamie. He didn't say anything at all," Tania said narrowing her eyes at Rory.

"Well he does," Honour said flatly.

"And who are you?" Jamie asked, "Another girlfriend?"

Logan and Honour looked repulsed. "Ew! He's my brother! Besides I'm married," Honour said holding out her hand, the beautiful wedding band and engagement ring sparkling in the flickering light of the pub.

Tania harrumphed, "Come on Jame let's go." They turned away with one last glare at Rory and stalked off towards the bar.

Logan let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank God they're gone."

Rory turned to him, his arm still around her waist. "I'm sure you absoloutley hated it," she said sarcastically.

"I did. They were such ditzes," he complained.

"What happened to your play boy ways?" Rory joked suddenly aware of how close they were, she liked how the curve of her body still seemed to fit with his. It felt good, comfortable, right.

His voice was all serious when he said, "Gone. You cured me of those." He had noticed too, how close they were, how they fit together, how it felt so right. He looked up at her and his eyes fell on her lips. They glistened with newly applied lip gloss, full and inviting. He shook his head quickly, _Can't go there. Cannot go there. _He forced himself to pull his arm out from around her waist and thought he heard a little sigh escape from her lips.

She stepped away from him and settled in her seat across from him. She sighed as her thoughts floated back to what Honour had said in the bathroom: _'I don't get why you two don't just kiss and make up already.' __Why didn't they? Why didn't she just walk around the table and kiss him?_ Rory thought to herself. She looked down at her hands, flat on the table. The ring finger on her left hand seemed to stand out to her. _Oh yeah, that's why._

About 5 or so drinks later Rory was drunk and Honour had cut off her supply. "That's enough Rory," she said as Rory went to order another drink.

Rory pouted, "Just one more?"

"No, I think maybe we should leave," Honour said looking at Logan who was staring moodily into his beer, 3 empty glasses sat in front of him.

"Not yet!" Rory squealed, "Let's dance first. Logan come dance with me." She grabbed his hand and pulled him off his seat and towards the dance floor.

A funky dance song was playing and the dance floor was pretty crowded. Rory and Logan were pushed closer and closer together as the song progressed. His hands sat on her hips, only a small gap between the rest of their bodies. Her hands slid up his arms and around his neck. _'…just kiss and make up…' _Honours words echoed in her mind, _'kiss and make up.'_ She looked over and noticed the two girls from before watching them. Jamie whispered something to Tania behind her hand. The crowd moved; pushing Logan and Rory closer together, their bodies flush up against each other, and causing Rory to loose sight of the two girls for a moment. When Rory saw them again Tania was nodding her head, both of them continued watching Rory and Logan as they danced.

She didn't know what made her do it. It wasn't like her, it wasn't what she had planned, it must've been the alcohol. She put a hand behind his head, her fingers curling in his hair and pulled his lips to hers. She kissed him and felt him respond almost immediately. He kissed her back for a few moments, his arms wrapping around her body before he suddenly realised what he was doing. "Rory," he breathed pushing her away from him. "We can't do this. Come on let's go." He grabbed her hand and pulled her off the dance floor.

"We're leaving," Logan said walking past Honour who was sitting at their table sipping her drink.

"Wait. Logan, what's going on?" his sister asked as she quickly gathered up her bag and Rory's and followed them out of the pub.

"She's drunk. Rory where's your car?" he asked the drunk brunette he was supporting.

"Is that it?" Honour asked pointing to a light blue car a few meters away.

"Yeah that's it, where are her keys?" he asked.

"You're not going to let her drive home are you?" she asked as she searched through Rory's bag.

"Of course not," he replied as Rory slumped against him. "She's in no state to drive, look at her."

"Then what are you doing?"

"I am calling Frank to come pick you two up. I'll take Rory's car and I'll meet you at my apartment."

Rory and Honour arrived at Logan's apartment first. Rory had fallen asleep on the drive and Honour decided not to wake her so she waited outside for Logan to arrive.

"She's asleep," she told her brother when he pulled up behind them. He nodded and handed her Rory's keys before he opened the door and lifted Rory into his arms. He carried her to his door, unlocking it and heading upstairs to his room. Honour grabbed their bags, thanked Frank and followed them.

Logan kicked open his bedroom door, careful not to wake the sleeping girl in his arms. He drew back the covers on his bed and lay her down, pulling off her shoes and jacket before he covered her up. He then shut the door behind him and headed back down the stairs. Honour was waiting for him seated in an arm chair in the lounge room.

"Is she still asleep?"

"Yeah she's still asleep. I don't know why she drank so much, she's not normally like that," Logan said lying down on the couch and shutting his eyes.

"You don't think it has anything to do with seeing you again?" Honour asked knowingly.

"What do you mean? Why would seeing me make her drink like that?"

"She was worried about seeing you Logan."

"I was worried too you know," he said.

"Yeah I noticed, you didn't exactly go easy on the alcohol either."

"True, but I wasn't like her."

"You didn't drink as much and I think you have a better tolerance for alcohol then she does," Honour pointed out

"Yeah all those years partying with Finn have finally paid off," he joked.

Honour stood up. "So you're good, you'll look after her?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied.

"Good here's her stuff, her keys are in her bag. I'm going to go, Josh will be waiting for me," Honour said handing him Rory's bag. Logan took it and walked his sister to the door.

"I'll see you around bro," she said giving him a hug before she walked out. "I'll get Frank to take me home."

"Ok thanks by the way."

She smiled at him, "No problem, just don't screw it up."

"I'll try. Bye Honour." He shut the door behind her and locked it before heading up stairs. He walked into his room quietly and set Rory's bag on the ground at the foot of the bed with her shoes and jacket. He looked at her asleep in his bed, where he'd always hoped she'd be forever. A bit of her curly brown hair covered her face and before he could stop himself he'd tucked it behind her ear. She twitched a bit at his touch as he got up and walked to the door, preparing for a night on the couch. "Logan?" she murmured sleepily, blinking up at him.

"Yeah Ace?" he replied hoarsely.

"Will you stay with me please?" she asked looking at him through half opened eyes.

"OK," he replied softly. He kicked off his shoes and changed into a pair of tracksuit pants and a tee-shirt. He slipped into bed next to her and pulled the covers up over both of them. She rolled over and snuggled up next to him. Cautiously, he put his arms around her, holding her close and within minutes she was asleep again. He let her steady breathing lull him to sleep, just revelling in the moment, determined not to think about the nights events until the next morning.


	10. Chapter 10: Now That Was A Proposal

**A/N: Haven't you missed Finn, Colin and Steph? I have.**

**Chapter 10: Now That Was A Proposal**

The next morning Logan woke up to the sound of his cell phone vibrating on his bedside table. It was adding to the already pounding headache he had. He reached out for it and flipped it open. "What?" he grunted.

"Hello to you too," Colin's all too cheery voice greeted him. "Finn and I are waiting outside for you to open the door. Can't you hear us?"

Logan listened for a second and immediately wished he hadn't, he could hear a distant pounding on his front door and it also added to the pounding in his head. "Ok tell Finn to stop pounding on the door it hurts my head," he groaned.

"Oh suffering from a hang over are we?" Colin asked with a laugh.

"Shut up, I'll be there in a minute." He flipped his phone shut and manoeuvred himself out of bed with out waking the brunette who had been lying with her head on his chest. He looked down at her and questions began spinning around in his head adding to his headache. He stumbled down stairs and unlocked his door, opening it to reveal Colin and Finn. They both walked in without being asked. "I got to use the loo mate, won't be a minute," Finn said waltzing away up the stairs. Logan just groaned in response and flopped down onto the couch. Colin on the other hand walked into the kitchen and started up the coffee maker. When the coffee was done he poured two cups and carried one of them and a glass of water into the lounge room, two aspirin in his hand. He put the cup on the coffee table and handed the glass and aspirin to Logan, returning to the kitchen for the other cup. Logan took a sip of the water and downed the aspirin then turned to his coffee. He had just finished his coffee and was feeling much better when Finn came down the stairs and stood in front of him. "Logan, reporter girl is asleep in your bed, did you know that?"

"Yes Finn I was aware of that," Logan answered without looking up.

"She's also fully clothed, well as far as I could see I didn't want to wake her to fully check..."

"Yes I am aware of what state of dress she is in seeing as she is in _my_ bed," Logan replied.

"It also appears that you were in bed with her last night."

"I was."

"Wait," Colin said looking at them both, "I get her being _in _your bed but I don't get her being fully clothed _in _your bed. Did you guys get dressed again after or something?"

"No. Nothing happened to get dressed after," Logan said.

"So you two didn't sleep together?" Finn said.

"Well we slept together, but we didn't have sex, no."

"Whoa. So you've gone more than 4 months without sex and now that you have the woman you've been denying yourself for, in your bed of all places, you didn't do anything?" Colin asked in disbelief. "Huntz, you've lost your touch."

"Literally," Finn added with a grin.

"We just saw each other for the first time in months. Besides we're just friends."

"Sure. Just friends," Colin said, "So Logan how hard was it for you to, uh, control yourself last night? While you were lying next to her, your bodies almost touching or actually touching, her hair smelling of vanilla…"

Logan looked up at his friend, "How do you know what her hair smells like?"

"I went to your apartment many times and I'm guessing that it wasn't you that used the vanilla shampoo," Colin answered. "Now answer the question."

"Man you have no idea," Logan said hoarsely, his head lolling back against the seat as he remembered the events from the nights before.

"I think he does," Finn said, who had settled in an arm chair side ways, his legs hanging over the arm rest. He was admiring his fingernails, and the chipping black paint on them. "Time for a new coat," he said more to himself then anyone else. "Logan do you know if Rory has any black nail polish?"

"I'm not sure. Finn, what did you mean that Colin would know what it's like?" Logan asked curiously.

"Well I meant Stephanie of course," Finn answered ignoring the glare he received from Colin. "He's been in love with the girl since forever and I'm sure he's taken her home drunk countless times and shared a bed with her. Actually I know that for a fact seeing as I shared a dorm room with him at Yale."

"Yeah, no wonder he goes and gets totally smashed every time they break their 'thing' off," Logan smirked.

"If only he realised how much she meant to him and stopped denying it, he could get his A into G and go get her and keep her this time," Finn stated, holding his hand out the way girls did when admiring a wedding ring, still staring at his fingernails.

"Hello, _he_ is sitting right here, and _he_ doesn't need to realise anything because there is nothing to realise!" Colin yelled.

"And 'Da Nile ain't just a river in Egypt," Finn retorted.

"I am not in denial!" Colin shouted. He stood up and stormed out, they heard the fridge door opening and slamming shut and then the sound of Colin's feet thundering up the stairs.

"Should we go out and see if he's ok?" Logan asked.

Finn swung his legs off the arm rest and sat up straight. "I've got a better idea," he said, an evil glint in his eye. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket then threw it on the couch opposite him.

Logan stared at him, "That was your great idea?" he asked incredulously.

"No that was not my great idea. My phone is dead, I'm using yours. Hand it over." Logan handed him his cell phone warily. "What's Steph's number on speed dial?"

"Four," Logan said, "I don't think getting Steph here is a good idea.'

"What do you mean? It's a brilliant idea."

Logan snorted in response, "I guess we have different views on what is a good idea and what is not."

"That's 'cause I'm a genius and you're not. So how did Steph end up being number four on your speed dial?" Finn asked typing away furiously. He hit the send button and looked at Logan.

"She just did, it's you and Colin then Honour then her."

"Who's first, me or Colin?"

'What? Uh Colin I think."

Finn looked appalled, "How did he get above me, I think I've been a much better friend then he has."

"He's first because his names starts with C."

Finn sighed, "If only my father had named me Adrian…or Alan, or Abigail…"

"Well Abigail is a girl's name for starters," Logan began as his phone went off. Finn flipped it open reading the message before handing it back to its owner. "Steph'll be here in 10."

Logan nodded before reaching for the remote, "Stooges?" he asked rhetorically turning on the TV.

"No," Finn said. "I want you to explain what the hell Reporter girl is doing here. I know Colin know's and it's annoying. He has that 'I know something you don't know' look. If he wasn't so pissed at us he'd be down here doing the dance."

Logan grinned and obliged spending the next 10 minutes explaining his and Rory's current situation.

Finn and Logan were sprawled out on the floor when the door bell rang, it'd been more then 10 minutes and they hadn't heard a sound from either Colin or Rory.

They got up and went to the door, opening it to see Steph standing there. A small black leather bag on one shoulder. "Why am I here?" she asked stepping past them into the hall way. "Not that I don't enjoy spending time with you guys…"

"Colin," was all Finn said. "On the balcony."

Steph walked off down the hallway and up the stairs towards the balcony, she'd only taken a few steps when she turned back. She reached into her purse and pulled out a little black bottle. "Here's the nail polish by the way." She was on her way as soon as Finn grabbed the bottle. "Thanks love," he called after her before he settled down at the kitchen table to paint his nails.

"You're strange, you know that?" Logan said, walking past his friend to the kitchen. He poured another cup of coffee then grabbed a glass of water and two aspirin before he headed up the stairs to his room. "Don't get any of that nail polish on the kitchen table," Logan called over his shoulder.

He was sure that Colin storming up the stairs would have woken Rory, no matter how hung over she was but he was wrong, she was still fast asleep. He smiled as he placed the water, coffee and aspirin on the bedside table. He was sure the smell of coffee would wake her up soon enough. Again he pushed some of her brown hair behind her ear and off her face. She squirmed a little at his touch then snuggled down further underneath the blankets.

He pulled the blankets up tighter around her and walked out of his room shutting the door behind him with a sigh. She'd wake up when she woke up, and then they'd deal with what had happened between them last night. He had told Colin and Finn the truth, it had been torture for him last night, especially when she had asked him to stay with her, she'd curled up next to him just like she used to and for that moment, he had forgotten all that had happened. Just seeing her, being near her but not actually being _with _her, had hurt more then he could ever have imagined. And it had almost killed him stopping her and he still couldn't work out why he had in the first place. She was all he ever wanted and she basically threw herself at him. He paused mid step at the top of the stairs. That was it. She had never ever been the girl to drop at his feet with little work on his part. He had always had to work hard for her, and he had been glad to do it, she was always a challenge. Her throwing herself at him reminded him of all the other girls that could never measure up to her. Girls like Jamie and Tania, superficial, shallow and only after him for his name, money and looks. But Rory was different and that was why he loved her. But last night she hadn't been. He shook his head in amazement at what a little alcohol could do.

Steph stood in front of the balcony door, watching Colin through the glass. He was standing at the railing staring at the busy street below. A bottle of beer dangled in his hand. He put the bottle to his lips and took a long swig. Steph noticed, what she assumed was an empty bottle, on the ground at his feet. She took a deep breath and opened the door stepping through.

"For God's sake I'm not…" Colin trailed off as he turned around and saw that it was not Finn or Logan on the balcony with him.

"You're not what?" she asked soothingly noting how angry, frustrated and tired he looked.

"I'm not denying it anymore,' he all but whispered. "I know."

"You know what?" she asked, her shoulders slumping causing the strap of her bag to slip off into her hand.

"I know I'm in love with her." He took a last swig of beer and put the empty bottle on the ground.

"In love with who?"

He stepped towards her looking right into her eyes. "The most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

There was only a step or 2 separating them. "Who?" she asked again in a quiet, timid voice.

"You." And with that one simple word he closed the gap between them, his lips crashed down on hers and the strap of her bag slid out of her hand as she tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer. His lips fell from hers and he kissed up and down her neck.

She lifted her neck, giving him better access. "Colin," she murmured.

"Mmm…" he muttered distractedly.

"Colin!"

He stopped his assault on her neck and looked up at her. She noticed the passion and desire in his eyes and knew it matched her own. "I love you too and I would like to show you just how much I really do love you but we're standing on a balcony," she said breathlessly.

He looked at their surroundings, "So we are," he stated.

"So do you think we could go somewhere? Logan's room maybe?" she asked as he turned back to kissing her neck.

"Can't. Rory's there. How long will it take us to get to your place?" he murmumered against her skin.

"Wait, Rory's there? In Logan's room? Oh my God are they finally back together?" she asked excitedly jumping and causing him to pull back from her with a slight groan.

"No they're apparently just friends. Steph can we please discuss this later? How far is it to your place?"

"I have roommates. And thin walls, where are you staying?" she said quickly, putting her arms back around his neck.

"Hotel. Adjoining room to Finn. I can get him to crash here though," he said as he ran his hands up and down her arms and she twirled his hair in her fingers.

"How long?"

"40 minutes."

She groaned, dropping her head onto his chest. "40 minutes is a long time, almost too long," she muttered into his shirt.

"Can we go and park somewhere?" he asked desperately.

"Colin!" she exclaimed stepping back from him, but not completely out of his arms. "I am not doing this in a car!"

"Why not it's not like we haven't done it before. Both in a car and out."

"But this, this is different, special, I want it to be somewhere special," she said quietly.

"You really are a girl you know Steph. OK we'll go to the hotel, come on hurry." He bent down and picked up her bag before handing it to her and leading her back inside and down the stairs. He grabbed her hand and led her to the kitchen where they stopped in front of Logan and Finn. Finn had finished painting his nails and was blowing on them to get them to dry faster. Logan was staring moodily at the wooden table top. Both looked up as the couple rushed in.

"Ah so you finally did get you're A into G. I'm happy for you love,' Finn said grinning at them, "All thanks to me of course."

"Dude, don't ever call me 'love' again."

"Who ever said I was talking to you mate? I was talking to her," he said nodding at Steph.

"Why is it all thanks to you?" Steph asked, "I think it was actually us that did everything."

"I'm sure you did do _everything_," Finn said with a wink before turning serious, "But it's all thanks to me because I got Colin all riled up by saying he was in love with you since forever and then I got you here. It wouldn't have happened without me," he stated smugly.

"Well actually it wouldn't have happened without me," Logan said, his trademark smirk in place.

"How so?" Finn questioned his friend.

"Well you did use my phone to get Steph here as yours is flat."

"I could've found another phone," Finn said defensively.

"Ahem, gentleman this is beside the point, we have a lot of catching up to do and I think it may possibly take us the rest of our lives to do so and we should probably start as soon as possible." He turned to walk away but Steph stood rooted to the spot. He looked back at her eyebrows raised.

"Did you mean that?" she asked.

"What?"

"You said 'rest of our lives'."

"I did?"

"Did you mean it? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with me? Oh my God, did you just propose?"

"I did say that," he said to himself. He looked at her and made a split second decision, he loved this woman and he did indeed want to spend the rest of his life with her. He dropped down on one knee. "Stephanie Van der Bit, I'm kind of ring-less here at the moment as this wasn't planned but I love you, I always have and I always will. Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" she cried, jumping into his arms and kissing him passionately.

"Now that was a proposal," Finn whispered approvingly screwing the lid back onto the nail polish a watery grin on his face.

"Now we really need to go, Logan if you wouldn't mind Finn crashing here tonight, I'd appreciate the privacy. Anyway we'd best be going. Bye," Colin said as he walked backwards towards the door, his arm around a smiling Steph.

"Say hi to Rory for me," Steph called over her shoulder as they rushed out the front door.

And they were gone. Silence settled over the room before Finn broke it, "Well it's about bloody time," he said simply. He looked up at Logan and noticed the lost-in-thought look on his face.

"What's up mate?"

"She said yes."

"Yeah she did," Finn said slowly trying to get to the same place as his best friend.

"They just made up 10 minutes ago and she agreed to marry him. Why did she say yes to him…and Rory said no to me?"

Finn sighed as he realised what was getting his friend down.

"Am I that different to Colin?" he continued staring at his hands.

"You are different to Colin and Rory is different to Steph, it wasn't the right time for you guys but you were made for each other, you two will get it back on track mate, trust me." He got up and walked to the fridge and pulled out a few bottles of beer. "Here," he said handing one to Logan.

"You always turn to alcohol to solve the problem don't you Finn?"

"Of course mate, what works better than alcohol?"


	11. Chapter 11: The Morning After

Chapter :

**Chapter 11: The Morning After**

Rory woke up and looked around the unfamiliar room she found herself in. She couldn't remember how she'd gotten there and she didn't recognise anything except the insistent pounding in her head. '_Argh hangover.' _was the only coherent thought she had. She rolled over groggily and noticed a glass of water, two aspirin and a still steaming cup of coffee on the bedside table. She took the aspirin with a gulp of water and moved onto the coffee. In a matter of seconds she had drunk the whole cup and with her headache subsiding slightly she took another look around her surroundings, noticing a familiar masculine theme in the room. She groaned as she realised the events of the night before were reality and had not been a dream. She got out of bed slowly and went down stairs. _No use prolonging the inevitable, _she thought with a sigh. She found Logan and Finn in the lounge room watching TV.

"Ace," Logan said looking up when she walked in.

"Look Logan, I know we need to talk about this," she waved her hands in front of her for effect, "but can we please wait till later? I can't think right now," she said rubbing her temples.

"Ok well I'm going to go…do something for a bit, leave you two alone," Finn said. He walked out and came back in a second later. "Car, car, don't have a car. I came with Colin. Logan where are your keys?"

"Take mine," Rory offered. "They're in my…" she looked at Logan in panic. "Logan where are my keys? My bag, my jacket," she looked at her bare feet. "My shoes!"

Logan smirked, "Relax, Ace. They're in my room."

"Right I got that," Finn said heading up the stairs.

Rory went and sat down in an arm chair and tried to think what to do about her and Logan's situation. Nothing came to mind except the image of Logan pushing her away when she had kissed him. _I guess Honour was wrong, _she thought sadly.

Logan watched her quietly unsure of what to say, if anything at all. Luckily Finn came in. "Ok going now. Rory, love, I thought you might want this," he said handing her her cell phone. She nodded her thanks and Finn turned to leave. "Taco," she muttered incoherently.

"What was that doll?"

"Taco. Can you please get me a taco?"

Finn looked at Logan who nodded. "Make that two," the blond said.

"Ok," Finn replied leaving the room once more.

They heard Rory's car start up a few minutes later but neither said a word.

Rory's cell phone went off in her hand and she jumped at the sound. "Oh no," she groaned when she looked at the caller ID.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"Paris," she groaned. "I didn't come home last night and I didn't call. I don't want to talk to her my head still hurts," she said with a whine.

Logan sighed, "Give it here," he said holding out his hand for her ringing cell phone.

She smiled sweetly and handed it to him. "Thank you."

"Hello?" he said flipping it open and walking into the kitchen.

"GILMORE WHERE THE BLO-wait you're not Rory who the hell are you?" Paris screeched.

"She had a bit too much to drink last night so she's not feeling too great," Logan said not answering Paris' question.

"Logan? What the hell are you doing answering Rory's phone?"

"It was ringing," he said simply.

"Hardee har har," Paris said, "You're a comedian Huntzberger really. Now why didn't Rory answer her own phone and why is she with you?"

"Lot's of questions there Paris. Why don't I let her explain it all to you later?"

"No I want answer's here Huntzberger! Why is she with you?"

"We went out."

"On a date?"

"No Paris not on a date. We're friends. Why is that so hard for people to grasp?"

"Well as far as I know this is the first time I've even heard about you in months."

"She didn't tell you that we've been talking this past month?"

"No, I didn't know that. She's sure got some explaining to do. Well I'll let you go remind her to call me next time. I was worried about her."

"You're a good friend Paris. I'll tell her to call you next time, bye." Logan hung up and walked back into the lounge room. He handed the phone back to Rory. "You didn't tell her about us. Why not?"

"I didn't want to tell too many people incase it turned out that you didn't like me or want me back," she said to him. "And that's what happened so good thing to,' she added under her breath.

"About last night…"

"Don't Logan."

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that."

"Done what Logan? You didn't do anything; I kissed you not the other way around. Turns out mom and Lane were wrong."

"So you told your mother and Lane but not Paris."

"I told my best friends. I've only been back living with Paris and Doyle for a few weeks and besides I didn't really want Doyle to know and I don't know whether Paris would tell him or not."

"Yeah I'm not sure I want him knowing either," Logan said.

"I imagine you told Colin, Finn and Stephanie."

"I told Colin and Honour at first and then I told Finn this morning and Colin must've told Steph because she told me to say hi to you before she left here with her _fiancé."_

"Steph's getting married? To who?"

"Colin.'

"Since when?"

"About an hour ago actually."

"I can't believe I missed it!"

He grinned at her. "That? I can't believe you slept through Colin, Finn and my shouting match and Colin's temper tantrum."

"Me either but I guess I was pretty drunk last night, if this headache is any indication," Rory said shutting her eyes and rubbing her temples.

"Uh yeah to the level of being unable to walk."

"Oh god then how did I get…oh god."

Logan smirked. "You gonna' finish a sentence at some stage there Ace?"

She shook he head. "Ow, head. Hurt. Shower?"

"Sure Ace, use my bathroom, you know where my room is."

She groaned inwardly and nodded as she went up stairs. She stripped down in his bathroom and stepped into the shower letting the hot water rush over her. _Oh god what have I done? _she thought. _I'm having a shower in Logan's bathroom. Because I slept at his place, in his bed, with him. Oh my God! _The events from the night before came back to her and she remembered asking Logan to stay with her. She remembered how they'd danced and she had noticed those two girls watching them and she'd kissed him. She remembered how he'd kissed her back at least for a little until he pulled away and they left. But the rest of the night was pretty hazy. She groaned as she got out of the shower and put her clothes back on.

When she got down stairs Logan was watching TV nursing another cup of coffee. Two others were sitting on the coffee table.

"Hey," Rory said announcing her presence. "For me?" she asked pointing at the two cups on the table

Logan nodded. "Assuming you can drink them both before Finn gets back."

"Easy," she said with a smile taking both cups and curling up in the arm chair, shutting her eyes as the caffeine began to course through her system.

She was half way through the second cup when Finn came in carrying a plastic bag. He opened it up and pulled out a taco handing it to Rory who smiled her thanks and dug in. He gave the other taco to Logan who took it in silence.

Finn surveyed the room and noticed all the discarded coffee cups. He sighed and gathered them up taking them to the kitchen. It was strange for him to be looking after his friends when they had hang overs. It was normally Colin or Logan looking after him. _I guess reporter girl brings out the caring in all of us he thought, _he thought returning to Logan and Rory.

Rory looked up as Finn came back in. She'd finished her taco and was feeling half way normal and her headache was now bearable. "Finn!" she cried jumping up and giving the lanky Australian a hug.

"Well Darling you sure bounce back quick don't you?"

"I missed you," she said hugging him tight.

"I missed you too love," Finn replied and he couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his lips as he looked down at the petite brunette. _Yep, definitely brings out the caring in us. _

He kissed her forehead before they both settled down on the couch across from Logan.

"So love, what have you been up to since I last saw you?"

"Well Mom and Luke got back together and after just 3 months Luke proposed again. Mom accepted and they're getting married in February."

"Oh that's wonderful! I'm glad your mom's happy, she deserves it."

Rory sighed happily, thinking about her mother and Luke. "Yeah she does."

Logan looked up right into Rory's eyes. "I think this was a bad idea Rory, us seeing each other again, so soon after…after what happened. It was a bad idea."

"And that's my cue to leave," Finn muttered squeezing Rory's hand and walking out.

Rory barely noticed Finns departure she was so focused on Logan. "No it's not, it wasn't," she said earnestly.

He stood up and started pacing in front of her. "I think it was a mistake," he said.

She stood up in front of him blocking his path. She kissed him, short and hard. "Did that feel like a mistake?" she asked fiercely.

"No," he whispered, his eyes still closed then he opened them and stared right into her blue ones. "But when I remember why I didn't kiss you first…then it's bad, it hurts and…it feels like a mistake." Logan ignored the tears forming in her eyes and turned away. "I think you should go," he said shakily.

"Ok," she whispered tearfully and turned on her heel and tore up the stairs into his room, She stayed up there for a few moments to compose herself and wipe her tears away. Then she walked back down stairs, head held high. She walked back into the lounge room and grabbed her cell from the coffee table. Logan was sitting on the couch his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands.

"Good bye Logan," she said standing in the door way.

"Bye Ace."

"Don't call me that, don't ever call me that again," she requested coldly and quietly. Him calling her Ace meant that everything was ok with them, that they weren't fighting or arguing, that he was wiling to fight for her and that he wouldn't give up on them. But now he had, at least in her eyes.

He looked up at her, his eyes empty. "Good bye Rory."

She'd held onto a tiny shred of hope that he'd stand up and pull her into his arms and kiss her just like he used to but as soon as he said those 3 words it all came rushing back. Him walking away from her after her graduation after saying those same three words… She turned and fled crashing into Finn in the hallway.

"Whoa slow down there," he said catching her as she almost fell from the impact. She looked up into his face and he noticed the tears falling down her cheeks and the hurt in her eyes. "What's wrong love?"

"Nothing, nothing I'm fine Finn, I'm just gonna go," she said trying to brush past him but he still held her arms.

"You're not fine, love, how about we go get a cup of coffee and you can tell me what's up?" he said holding her close as her body started to shake with sobs. "Logan we're leaving," he called and they were out the door without waiting for an answer.

The waitress had just brought Finn a small cup of coffee and Rory a large one as they sat in a little coffee shop.

"What's wrong love?" Finn asked the silent Rory, concern showing in his hazel coloured eyes.

"Logan, he…he said it was a mistake," she said looking up from her coffee. "Us meeting up again…why would he say that when he asked me. I was all for waiting for it to be the 'soon enough' stage but he went and asked me right in the middle of the 'too soon' part. But he asked me anyway, _he _asked _me! _Not the other way around. He must've thought…thought…he must've thought something good! But then he went and pushed me away and told me it was a mistake. I mean what does that mean? Oh and don't forget the cute 'By the way Ace, I love you too' text message I mean what the hell?" she ranted as Finn sat across from her stunned. Man that girl could talk, a mile a minute and strangely enough he followed all of it. Except the part about Logan pushing her away.

"Ok calm down," he said she opened her mouth to say something but he continued, "I strangely got all of that except the part about him pushing you away. I must've missed something in my Rory/Logan catch up class this morning."

Rory explained the night at the bar and Finn nodded. "Why are you nodding? You should be gasping and wondering why he did that?"

"I'm not wondering because I know. It all makes sense now."

"What does? Finn what do you know that I don't?"

"I'll tell you in a sec love," he said sliding to the end of the booth and standing up. He stopped as he stood up. "Can I borrow your cell love? Mine's dead."

She pulled it out of her bag and handed it to him wordlessly. "Finn what's going on?"

"Just…I'll be right back, don't move." He turned and walked off to the bathroom located at the back of the shop. He walked in and immediately flipped open her cell phone. He settled down leaning against the bench and dialled Honours number. Him and Colin knew her number in case of emergencies with Logan and this was definitely an emergency.

"Hello?" Honour answered.

"Hey, Honour, it's Finn, I'm on Rory's phone."

"Oh, I was wondering who was calling me."

"Right anyway I'm calling about Logan."

"What did he do now? When I left everything was fine. He was looking after Rory-oh god what happened with them?"

"Well they discussed what happened last night. With rather unpleasant results."

"But last night…it went fine I was there I mean it was all going great until he came up to me and we left…I missed something didn't I?"

"Yeah you did," Finn replied, "You missed the part where she kissed him."

"Oh she took my advice that's so great. Wait if they kissed why was he so grumpy and everything? And why are you calling me? Still missing something aren't I?"

"Well you also missed the part where he pushed her away."

"Oh that stupid little son of-" Honour began angrily.

"Honour! You know I enjoy insulting your mother just as much as you do…we have work to do," Finn said cutting her off. "I'm with Rory and she's not in that great a shape. I'm gonna take her home. I was wondering if you could go talk to Logan. I'd ask Colin or Stephanie but they're kind of indisposed at the moment."

"Oh god again?" Honour remarked. Steph and Colin were well known for their heated on again off again romance.

"This time it's legit though," Finn said with a smile. "They're engaged. So they're having happy fiancée sex."

"Oh that's so great! But kind of gross I don't want to hear about what they get up to in their spare time. It'll be nice though, to have someone else in the 'I'm married club'. I'd hoped it would be Rory but maybe it will be soon enough. I'm happy for them."

"Yes, yes, it's great now getting back to the point…"

"Yeah sure, I'll go talk to him, just make sure Rory ends up ok. I really like her," Honour said.

"I will. She'll be fine I'll take her to see her mom and she'll be fine, just he wasn't in that great a shape either so yeah…"

"No worries Finn, I got it, I'm on my way. I'll talk to you later," Honour said.

"Right bye," Finn replied hanging up and walking back out to Rory. She was sitting at the table staring out the window just silently watching the street and everyone that walked by. Her coffee cup was still full. _Uh oh, _Finn thought, _that can't be good._ "Hey love, how you feeling?" he asked her.

She looked up at him and nodded blankly. "I'm fine."

"How about I take you home?" he asked putting money down for their coffee and grabbing her hand.

"Sound's good," she whispered following him out of the café and to her car.

"I swear to God Logan!" his sister fumed as she stormed through the open door of his apartment. "I told you not to screw it up and you went and screwed it up! What the hell did you do to her? What did you say? Why in god's name did you push her away? You are in love with that girl Logan and I honestly thought you knew that!"

Logan shut the door behind her and slumped against it, his eyes closed. "I really don't want to talk about this right now Honour."

"I don't give a damn! Deal with it because we are going to talk about this, and we are going to talk about it right now!" She stormed off into his lounge room and threw herself onto the couch. "Sit down," she commanded and he sat on the couch opposite her.

"Honour, I-"

She got up and paced angrily in front of him. "We care about her Logan. Me and Colin and Finn and Steph, we also care about you. We don't want to see either of you hurt by the others stupidity. I like her. She's nice, she's friendly, she's smart and she's good for you. And she has that whole I don't care what anyone thinks thing going for her."

"She does care though," he mumbled.

"Well obviously seeing as Finn's off comforting her right now!"

Logan's head shot up. "What? Why? Is she ok?"

"No she is bloody well not ok!" Honour yelled. "You said or did something or both and I don't know what it was exactly but you hurt her Logan and for the life of me I cannot understand why."

"Because it hurt me!" he yelled back at her. "Seeing her again and being so close to her when I didn't know if it meant anything because she was drunk at the time!"

"What do you think it meant to her?"

"I don't know. She was drunk for God's sake Honour."

"She may have been drunk last night but that doesn't mean she doesn't care about you. She wasn't drunk when we arrived. She wasn't drunk when she called you that first time and she hasn't been drunk all the other times you guys have talked," Honour pointed out.

He groaned leaning his head back against the couch and rubbing his face, his eyes screwed shut. "I know, I know I just…"

"Go and see her Logan," Honour said quietly going to sit next to him on the couch.

"I…I can't. _I_ can't go to _her,_" he whispered. "I'm scared."

_**A/N: And the chapter started out so well didn't it? Well it wouldn't be Logan and Rory without a little drama. Now it's his turn to be scared.**_


	12. Chapter 12: Dealing With A Miserable Gil

**Chapter 12: Dealing With A Miserable Gilmore**

_Previously….  
_

"_She may have been drunk last night but that doesn't mean she doesn't care about you. She wasn't drunk when we arrived. She wasn't drunk when she called you that first time and she hasn't been drunk all the other times you guys have talked," Honour pointed out._

"_I know, I know I just…"_

"_Go and see her Logan," Honour said quietly going to sit next to him on the couch._

"_I…I can't. I can't go to her," he whispered. "I'm scared."_

_

* * *

_"Scared of what?"

"Rejection. Never before in my life has a girl ever said no to me. And Rory, the girl I'm in love with, she said no, Honour. She said no to spending the rest of her life with me."

"Logan, she was scared, she wasn't ready but I think she does want to spend the rest of her life with you and I think you need her to. Fix this or you'll regret it for the rest of your life," Honour said giving her brother a hug. "She's already come to you once Logan. Now it's your turn."

Logan took a deep breath and looked up into his sister's eyes, nodding.

"I love you, you know," Honour said with a smile.

"Love you too, and thank you," he replied.

"Anytime," she said kissing his cheek and standing up. "Well crisis over, I have to go."

Logan stood up too and followed her to the door. He walked her out and to her car opening the door for her and leaning against the open window when she was seated.

"Let me know how it goes," Honour said before she pulled away and headed home.

Finn drove the 20 minutes to Stars Hollow faster then he should have, looking over at Rory every few minutes. She stared blankly out the window the whole way. She didn't even look up when Finn pulled up in her driveway. He looked over at her anxiously before he hurried out to open her door and lead her inside. He carried her bag in fishing her cell phone out as he went. "You sit her and watch some T.V. love," he said worriedly before walking into her kitchen with her cell phone. He opened her phone and called Lorelai.

"Fruit of my loins!" Lorelai answered after a few rings.

"Not exactly darling," Finn replied.

"Rory? When did you get a sexy Australian accent? Or a sex change for that matter?"

"It's Finn. I'm at your place with Rory, she's not great, I gotta say. I've never seen her like this," Finn said. "Not that that's saying all that much…but there's something not right."

"Oh the thing with Logan didn't go too well huh?"

"Nope."

"I'll be there in 15 minutes," Lorelai promised hanging up.

Finn walked back into the other room and sat down next to Rory, putting her phone on the table. "Anything I can get you?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said. "Really," she added looking at him for the first time.

"Haven't got me convinced love," he muttered. "I called your mom," he told her and his brows furrowed in worry when she simply nodded.

Finn had spent a large amount of his teen years comforting his 3 sisters. Two of them were younger then him and one older. He'd had a lot of practise in comforting distraught girls after they'd been dumped by their boyfriends. But all the practice in the world couldn't have prepared him to deal with this. A miserable Gilmore. He had never been in a situation like this before, never seen someone so down. Then again, none of his sisters had ever been dumped by the man they loved who said he loved them too, who also happened to be his best friend. Except for that one time with Lauren and Colin…not that they had been in love or anything…but that's a story for another time. Finn gave Rory a hug before looking out the front window, impatient for Lorelai to arrive.

Lorelai arrived in 10 minutes with 2 giant cups of Luke's coffee. She greeted the lanky Australian with a nod before rushing into the living room to see her daughter. "Rory?" she asked cautiously. "Want some coffee hon? Luke made it especially for us. A new pot and everything." Lorelai held out a large coffee cup in front of her daughter but Rory ignored it. Lorelai's face fell and she stood up and headed to the kitchen with Finn on her heels.

"I didn't know what to do," he rambled as Lorelai sat down at the table. "I have sisters and I've comforted by them but none of them have ever been pushed away by the man that proposed to them…who happens to be my best mate, so I decided to bring her here. It seemed best."

"Thanks Finn," Lorelai said looking up at him. "I really appreciate you bringing her here, though I hate seeing her like this. What happened?"

_Great, _Finn thought as he waved good bye to Lorelai and shut the front door behind him. _I'm stranded in the middle of Hicksville. No car. No cell. Not that I'd have anyone to call anyway... _He groaned and headed in the direction Lorelai had pointed him. Just a few minutes later his eyes set on Stars Hollow town square. He noticed the 'Luke's' sign remembering Rory raving about the coffee. He opened the door and walked up to the counter. "One coffee thanks mate," Finn said to the grumpy looking man dressed in flannel with a backwards baseball cap on his head.

Behind the counter, Luke stared at the tanned, dark haired well dressed young man with the Australian accent. He shook his head dismissively and turned to put on a fresh pot, Lorelai having cleaned him out of the last one. "Have here or take away?" Luke asked.

"Have here," Finn said with a sigh. "May as well, I'm pretty much stranded here anyway," he added under his breath.

"So what brings you to Stars Hollow?" Luke asked gruffly curious as he put a full coffee cup down in front of Finn.

"Helping out a friend," Finn said taking a sip of his coffee. _Wow reporter girl wasn't kidding. This coffee IS the best in world._

Luke looked up from his order in surprise. "Do they live in Stars Hollow?" Luke asked shocked. Who lived in Stars Hollow that was friends with someone so obviously rich?

"Yeah," Finn said taking another sip. "Rory Gilmore."

Luke dropped the salt shaker he had been refilling.

Finn started at the sound and looked up at the, now scary looking, diner owner. "You know her," he said as more of a statement than a question taking a sip off his coffee.

"Yes," Luke replied shortly. "I'm her…" he paused for a moment, searching for the right word to describe what he was to Rory. "I'm her step-father. Is she okay?"

Finn looked up at him, comprehension dawning. "You're Luke?" He looked Luke up and down again. "Well I do get what Lorelai sees in you, you are kind of sexy in a gruff cave man sort of way."

Luke looked abashed before he shook his head. "Rory? Is she ok?"

Finn looked down at the floor. "Uh…she's not great," he admitted. "I took her home to Lorelai. Things didn't go too well with Logan."

Luke erupted in anger, you could almost see the smoke pouring out of his ears. "LOGAN!? WHAT THE HELL DID THAT UNDESERVING SPOILED LITTLE RICH KID DO THIS TIME!?" he thundered. The other diner patrons looked up in shock at Luke's outburst. Miss Patty, sensing a story leaned closer to them. Dimly, in the back of his mind, Luke realised that this incident would be all over town by lunchtime.

Finn jumped and fell off the back of his chair in shock. "Undeserving? That's a little harsh isn't it? He's done some pretty bad things by Rory, I'll admit, but he's only human," Finn said jumping to his best friend's defence.

"ONLY HUMAN!" Luke thundered again. "HE'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR HER!"

Finn stood up, his loyalty pushing anger to the surface. "He IS good enough for her! They're good for eachother."

"Then why is she at home crying over him!?"

"Why is he at home kicking himself for making her cry?" Finn yelled. "You think he doesn't care about her? She means the world to him. There is _nothing_ he wouldn't do for her. Nothing!" Finn threw the money for his coffee down on the counter and stormed out.

Luke followed after him. "I'm taking the day off, Caesar," he called over his shoulder as he wrenched the diner door open. He got into his truck and slammed the door so hard the whole truck vibrated.

Both men headed back to Lorelai's house, Finn on foot, Luke in his car. Finn arrived just as Luke was opening the front door. Luke turned around and glared at him as Finn came tumbling threw the bushes swearing.

The lanky Australian dusted himself off and walked up the steps and through the open door after Luke. They both noticed Lorelai sitting on the couch, her head in her hands. Luke rushed to her side and pulled her into a hug.

"I don't know what to do," she sobbed. "She's not saying anything to me."

"Shh," Luke soothed her patting her back. His eyes found Finn's, all animosity gone. Now they were bound in an unlikely alliance with the sole purpose of helping Rory, and Lorelai who was distraught over her daughter's despair.

"I can't relate. I don't remember ever being this miserable," Lorelai cried. "I don't remember ever being-" She stopped as the memory she'd been searching for hit her. She remembered when she'd been this heart broken. It hadn't been over Christopher, Jason, Max or any of the other men she'd ever dated. It had been over Luke. She sat up out of Luke's embrace and looked around for her bag.

"Lorelai what is it?" Luke asked her as she got up and started to retrace her steps in search of her bag.

"I remember. I remember being this bad," she said distractedly. She walked to the door and looked under her jacket finding what she'd been looking for. She fished her cell phone out of her bag and walked into the kitchen, Luke and Finn trailing behind her. "The only thing that fixed it was having you back," she said to Luke. Lorelai leant against the bench and flipped open her cell scrolling through the phonebook until she found the entry she was looking for. She pressed the call button and held the phone to her ear.

Luke and Finn looked at each in confusion, realisation only dawning when Lorelai spoke. "Logan, it's Lorelai."

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**AN: Guess what I want? REVIEWS. Just 6 more, please guys! hit the button! The rest of this story is finished and waiting...get me to 100 reviews and it's up.**


	13. Chapter 13: Never

**Chapter 13: Never**'_What do you do when the only person that can make you stop crying is the one that made you cry in the first place?'_ "Logan?" Luke thundered. "Why are you bringing that little-"

AN: First of all i want to say a massive thank you to all the people that reviewed! i got way more than i expected. So thank you guys so much! Especially those of you that have waited patinetly for my updates...sometimes waiting months.  
This is it guys. The final chapter. Not of ever, there's much more to tell...but for now...this is it. 'Cause i have this thing called school i go to everyday? and the teachers there...yeah they get pretty annoyed when i don't hand in my assignments.

* * *

"Because he loves her!" Lorelai said, cutting Luke off. "I know you don't like it Luke, but it's true."

Lorelai looked to Finn for confirmation, he nodded gravely. "She means the world to him. There is nothing-"

"He wouldn't do for her. I _know_," Luke finished. "But he's the reason she's crying in the first place."

"Well if you want to go and be all technical about it…_She's_ the reason she's crying in the first. She _is _the one that kissed him," Finn said thoughtfully.

Luke flew across the kitchen grabbing a handful of the collar of Finn's shirt.

"Luke!" Lorelai exclaimed using all her weight to pry his hands off Finn.

Finn held his hands up in front of him. "I'm just sayin'!"

"That little punk, I swear I'm gonna…" Luke muttered menacingly.

Lorelai ignored Luke and walked into the lounge room. "Logan's coming over here tomorrow morning. Finn, you're welcome to stay the night, although the couch isn't the most comfortable."

"I may have to take you up on that offer love, I'm kind of stranded. I didn't think too far ahead this morning. Unless…where's Rory's cell?"

"In the kitchen," Lorelai answered following him back in.

"I might be able to call Rosemary to come pick me up. Maybe. I can't remember if I did something bad last time we were together…." He trailed off thoughtfully as he began to search through Rory's contacts.

The next morning Lorelai divided her time between staring out the front window and sitting next to the lifeless Rory on the couch. Luke and Finn, who hadn't managed to convince Rosemary to come pick him up, stood in the hall watching as Lorelai flitted from her daughter to the window and back again. The TV was on for background noise and Rory stared at it blankly. _'Light snow forecasted all over Connecticut this afternoon…' _Rory reached out and changed the channel from the news to cartoons.

"He's here," she murmured at last. Taking a deep breath she went to stand by the door to wait for his knock. A few moments later they heard the porch steps creak and a soft knock on the door. Lorelai pulled the door open to see Logan standing in the door way. His usually flawless attire looked worn and unclean. His eyes were blood shot and the dark circles under them showed he hadn't slept much the night before. His normally confident demeanour was nonexistent; in its place was a sense of uncertainty that radiated off him in waves.

"Hi Logan," Lorelai said ushering him inside.

Rory stood up and turned around. "Logan?" she echoed. "Mom what is he doing here? I don't want to speak to him again! Ever." Her eyes flashed angrily as her gaze finally fell on him.

"Rory you need this hon, if not to work things out then for closure," Lorelai said softly.

"I don't need closure! I don't need anything from him!" Rory yelled getting up and running to her room, slamming the door after her.

Logan recoiled in shock at her uncharacteristic outburst and looked at Lorelai questioningly. "On to you kid," she said with a sad smile, grabbing Luke and Finn by the arm and leading them out the door. "We'll give you some privacy."

"Good luck mate," Finn murmured as he walked past his blond friend.

Logan took a deep breath and turned to look towards Rory's room. He walked slowly down the hall and paused outside her door. He thought about knocking but decided against it, figuring he was going to go in regardless. He opened the door to see her sitting on the edge of her bed, her back facing the door.  
"Rory." His voice was hoarse and came out hardly any louder then a whisper. He sat down next to her and reached out to touch her arm. She stayed facing away from him but let him leave his arm on hers. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "When I'm around you I'm not myself. I mean I am, I'm more myself with you the anyone but you…fluster me, I think that's the best word for it, and I forget about everything except you. You have so much power over me, you wouldn't believe it, and it's terrifying. I know that's no excuse for all the things I've done to you but it's the only why I can try and justify the things I've done."

She turned to look at him, blinking through the haze of tears. "Do you think you don't have the same power over me?"

He shrugged slightly. "I don't know."

"Would I be this much of an emotional wreck if you didn't?" she sniffled with a humourless laugh.

"I guess not," he admitted.

"Why did you do it Logan? Why did you say those things? That it was a mistake," she asked him, a few stray tears slipping down her cheeks.

He stared at her wordlessly. "I…I…I don't know," he stammered.

"Not an answer Logan," she snapped standing up and walking away from him. He stayed on her bed and she stopped in front of her closet. "Did you mean it?" she whispered. "Did you think it was a mistake?" She looked over her shoulder at him, fresh tears brimming in her eyes.

He was up and at her side in a second. "No. No Rory, it wasn't a mistake," he said reaching out to take her by the waist.

"Then why?" she asked again, wriggling out of his grasp and walking to the other side of her room.

He ran his fingers through his hair adding to his already dishevelled appearance. "I'm scared. Rory, the way I feel about you, I have never felt that way about anyone before. No one even comes close. I'm scared of how I feel when I see you with other guys. How I felt when you weren't with me, I was lifeless Rory; I never want to feel that…that pain ever again. I'm scared of getting close to you for fear that I'll loose you again, I couldn't handle that. I know now that proposing to you then, after you'd just graduated was probably not the best time to do it but I loved you Rory, I still love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I'm not proposing again, but Rory, I can't live without you." Silence followed his speech and he stood still waiting for her reply.

Rory half smiled as she turned towards him. "You think you were lifeless? I had _Jess_ trying to devise a plan to get us to make up. _Jess_ of all people."

"How'd that go?" Logan asked lightly taking a few short steps towards her.

"He was about to call my grandmother for your number when I finally convinced him I was going to be ok." Rory looked amused at the memory. "I was wrong though," she whispered her face falling. "I'm not ok without you. I need you."

Logan crossed the gap between them and pulled her into his arms. "I need you too," he murmured into her hair pulling her down to sit beside him on the bed.

Rory reached out and clung to his shirt, his arms wrapping around her and holding her against his chest as her small frame wracked with sobs. "I don't even remember Logan, these past 4 months, since we broke up. I don't remember what I did, where I went, who I spoke to, I was numb," she sobbed.

"It's ok, it's all ok now," he said soothingly holding her tight as she cried against his chest.

She looked up at him through teary eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Me too Rory, me too," he murmured pulling her tighter against him.

Silence enveloped them as they clung to each other, neither wanting to let go for fear of loosing the other. By this time Rory had crawled into Logan's lap and had her eyes shut as she breathed in his scent. "I love you, Logan," she whispered.

"Rory, I live for you," he replied, the emotion that cracked his voice revealed the true feelings behind what, before, had only been words.

Many moments passed as they clung to eachother, neither of them wanting to break the tranquillity that lingered over them. The moment however, was broken for them.

"Hey! Wait!" Luke's muffled shout came from outside followed by the creaking of footsteps on the porch. The front door crashed open and Logan and Rory listened to the footsteps in the living room.

"Where are they?" They heard Finn ask.

"I don't know," Lorelai replied.

"Do you think she killed him?"

"No! Rory wouldn't do that." Silence then, "Would she?"

"Maybe we should-" Finn began.

"Maybe we should all wait _outside_," Luke said. Logan and Rory laughed quietly when they heard Lorelai and Finns grumblings as Luke ushered them back outside.

"I think we need to go out there and face the music," Rory said standing up with a flourish.

Logan nodded and grabbed her hand leading her into the hall and to the front door. He paused for a moment before pulling the door open and stepping out onto the porch with her.

The site that greeted them is one that will stay with them forever. The image of Finn scrambling up a tree away from an angry Luke. Luke was after his baseball cap that had somehow ended up in the top branches of tree.

"Give me back my hat!"

Rory laughed as she saw her mother run to her car and drive it out from under the tree it was parked under. Lorelai looked up as she got out of her jeep and noticed Logan and Rory standing on the porch, arms around each other.

"Rogan!" Lorelai exclaimed rushing over to them.

Logan and Rory looked at Lorelai in confusion. "Rogan?" Rory repeated.

Lorelai stared at her. "Yeah, duh. It's Rory and Logan put together."

"But how do you know we're put together?"

"The arm thing," Lorelai pointed out. "And also…"

"We didn't hear him screaming," Finn added from the tree.

"It came pretty close let me tell you," Logan joked.

"Well I, for one, am very glad you two are all back to normal," Lorelai said.

"Me too," Luke said finally giving up on Finn in the tree.

"We are too," Rory said smiling up at Logan.

"That we are," he whispered in her ear. They settled down on the bench next to Luke and Lorelai and watched as the forecasted snow began to fall.

"I'm telling you Rory, good stuff happens when it snows!" Lorelai said, her daughter smiling at her crazy anticts.

"That it does Mom, that it does."

Logan looked down at Rory next to him, pulling her closer against him. "Can I call you Ace now?"

Rory's smile faltered slightly as she looked up at him. "As long as you promise not to leave me," she whispered.

"Never."

They sat quietly next to Luke and Lorelai and watched as the white snow of winter began to carpet the ground and trees. The white flakes swirled around covering all that was once coloured in a blanket of soft white snow.

Finn began to shiver slightly, looking down at the ground appraisingly. "Uh, mates? I

think I'm stuck."

* * *

**AN2: Ok so that's it, thats all, there isn't, anymore.  
Hope you liked it...and just because i'm finished doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't review. :)  
A sequel is in the making but it wont be up for a while. **


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